Fear Itself
by Tori of Lorien
Summary: A ghost story. Sent off course on a stormy night, five superstars are stranded together in an old house. But they're not alone. Something is haunting them, and they have to find a way to combat their deepest, darkest fears in order to survive the night.
1. Part I: Crash and Burn

**Fear Itself**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE! I also don't own the words to "Nightmare" used at the beginning of this chapter. That would be Avenged Sevenfold.

**Summary**: A ghost story. Sent off course on a stormy night, five superstars are stranded together in an old house. But they're not alone. Something is haunting them, and they have to find a way to combat their deepest, darkest fears in order to survive the night.

**Characters**: AJ Lee, CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, Eve Torres

**Pairings**: Miz/Eve, one-sided Punk/AJ

**Rating**: T

**Genre**: Horror

**Author's Note**: Welcome this little horror story known as Fear Itself, lol. For those who know my writing, yes, I realize I haven't written a full-out horror story before, but there's a first time for everything, right? This idea has actually been brewing for quite a while, and I have to send a special shoutout to **Ana of Rohan** for reminding me about the basis of this idea that we had however long ago. So, thanks so much for that, dear :) Also have to thank **GuenVanHelsing** for convincing me to post this today, lol. I'm not sure when I'll update next since not all of this is done on my end, but I'll definitely update when I can! So, I hope everyone has a happy Halloween, and I hope this can scare ya just a little bit ;) Feel free to read and review, just no flames please. Enjoy!

_"Can't wake up in sweat_

_'Cause it ain't over yet_

_Still dancing with your demons_

_Beyond the will to fight_

_Where all that's wrong is right_

_Where hate don't need a reason..."_

_–Avenged Sevenfold, "Nightmare"_

_Part I– Crash and Burn_

_The thick, black smoke was suffocating. The heat was unbearable. The crackling flames were deafening as they continued to press in..._

"April!"

With a quiet gasp, April Mendez's eyes snapped open as she quickly looked around, sighing and brushing a few strands of dark hair that had fallen loose from her ponytail out of her face when she realized that she was sitting in the passenger seat of a rental car. She chanced a glance at the dark-haired, tattooed man sitting behind the wheel next to her, raising an eyebrow when she saw the slight smirk on his face. "Did I fall asleep?" she wondered.

Phil Brooks, better known as CM Punk, chuckled quietly as he turned on the windshield wipers when a few larger raindrops splashed against the pane. "About fifteen minutes ago," he confirmed. "But you were starting to get restless and mutter in your sleep, so..."

"Oh. Sorry about that." April was sure she felt slight color rise to her cheeks as she looked away from the Straight Edge Superstar. This was only her first week being a part of the main WWE roster as the spunky diva AJ, and after some confusion about who she was supposed to carpool with to get to the show in New Jersey the next day, she had been faced with no other choice but to travel with Phil and his usual road crew since she hadn't wanted to be left behind at the hotel in Boston.

She was then brought out of her thoughts when she heard a quiet sound behind her that sounded eerily like snoring. An equally quiet laugh followed, and April glanced over her shoulder to look at the other three members of their group.

"Clearly _someone_ has no trouble sleeping in this car," Michael Mizanin, WWE's loudmouth better known as the Miz, stated as he cast a pointed glance at the blond man leaning against the opposite window.

Eve Torres smiled from where she sat between them, reaching over and ruffling Nick Nemeth's hair. "He'll be out until we get to the hotel," she added when she didn't get a reaction, shaking her head slightly at the company's resident Show-Off, otherwise known as Dolph Ziggler.

"I'm okay with that," Mike muttered, tightening his arm around the waist of his girlfriend of three years. Eve smiled, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You mean I have to put up with that obnoxious sound and PDA from you two for the couple hours we have left before we get to Jersey?" Phil mock complained from behind the wheel. "Damn it, that's gonna be a pain in the ass..." He chuckled quietly when Mike gave him the middle finger.

April looked out the window at the steady rain that had been persisting for the better part of the drive, her thin fingers wringing nervously on her lap. She wasn't used to traveling with this particular group, but as Phil had said, there were only a couple short hours left until they reached the next city. She knew she could last for that long.

Phil glanced over at April, sighing quietly when he saw how stiffly she was sitting in her seat. "Hey, just relax, okay?" he muttered. "I mean, I feel bad that you got stuck with us, but we'll be there soon."

"Oh, trust me, it's not that at all," April replied quickly. "I like you guys. It's just..." Her sentence trailed off when the Straight Edge Superstar arched a questioning eyebrow, and she quickly looked away again.

Eve smiled as she leaned close to Mike's ear. "Isn't it cute?" she asked in nearly a whisper.

Mike looked back at her with confusion. "Isn't what cute?" he wondered.

"You don't see it?" Eve chuckled and rolled her eyes when her boyfriend continued to look at her with a blank expression on his face. "Never mind."

The self-proclaimed Awesome One opened his mouth to ask what she was talking about, but he was interrupted by a louder snore from Nick, who shifted position in his seat as he continued sleeping, and the conversation was dropped.

As the hour drew on, the steady rain continued to harden, soon turning into a heavy downpour. Phil cursed under his breath as he increased the speed of the windshield wipers, still not quite enough to completely clear the raindrops that were continuously obscuring his vision. April sat beside him, glancing up at the dark sky when a bright flash suddenly caught her eye. She bit her lip when a loud crash of thunder nearly shook the car as it echoed around them. The sound was enough to wake Nick, who quickly raised his head from the window before he looked around frantically.

"Wh-what was that?" he murmured, his words still heavy with sleep.

Mike smirked from where he was keeping a secure hold on Eve's hand. "Well, well, well. It looks like Sleeping Beauty has finally rejoined the living," he said.

Nick sent him a glare before he rubbed his tired eyes. "Damn, when did it begin storming?" he asked as another flash of lightning split the sky.

"Not too long ago," Eve answered, her eyes flickering nervously when another loud rumble of thunder shortly followed. "It seems like we're right in the middle of it too."

Mike leaned forward slightly and rested his arms on his knees so that he could get closer to the dark-haired man. "Hey, how much longer until we reach Jersey, Phil?" he wondered.

"Um..." The Straight Edge Superstar glanced briefly at the glowing green numbers of the car's clock before looking back out at the drenched road ahead of them. "I'd say another hour, give or take."

Eve glanced around her boyfriend to look out the window, seeing that they were one of the few cars traveling on the usually busy side road. "Phil, maybe you should slow down..." she suggested quietly.

"I would, Eve, if it wasn't for this asshole following us so closely." Phil narrowed his hazel eyes as he looked in the rearview mirror, pushing down on the brake just enough so that the back lights would flash. A slight smirk turned up the corner of his lips when the car behind them slowed down somewhat. "This is treacherous."

Nick looked out the window himself, stifling a yawn. "Just be careful, man," he said, leaning back against the seat in attempt to get comfortable.

Phil rolled his eyes but otherwise said nothing. From beside him, April suddenly jumped when a bolt of lightning touched down not too far from the road, a nearly deafening rumble of thunder following soon after. The dark-haired man briefly glanced at her, his brow furrowing slightly. "Hey, calm down, girl," he muttered when he saw how nervous she looked. "It's just some rain. We're gonna be okay."

"Well, it's a bit more than just a little rain, Phil," Nick argued from the back as he closed his eyes again. But then, they opened quickly when he felt a sharp slap on his arm, and he found himself facing an angry glare from Eve. "Ow! What the hell was that for?"

Eve just shook her head slightly as she leaned forward and set her hand on the seat in front of her that the younger woman occupied. "Just try and relax," she told her, emulating the Straight Edge Superstar's earlier words of comfort. "We'll get to Jersey soon."

April smiled weakly in return. "Thanks," she murmured, her gaze faltering slightly when another rumble of thunder echoed around them. "I just really don't like storms... and lightning..."

The Latina nodded in understanding while Phil sighed quietly, his eyes moving down to the glowing numbers of the clock once more. "Well, it should lighten up soon."

But as they continued driving while evening crept in, the storm's rage persisted, the heavy downpour making visibility difficult and the forceful wind making it even harder to stay in the lane. Nick had managed to fall asleep again, Mike was lightly twisting a strand of his girlfriend's brown hair around his finger while Eve tried to connect to a news website on her phone to check the weather, and April had closed her eyes and started to hum a song quietly to herself to try to calm down.

Finally, Phil sighed as he shook his head slightly. "Look, guys, I'm gonna try to find a place to stop so we can wait the storm out," he announced. "With as dark as it's getting, I'd rather not risk anymore driving."

Eve glanced up from the bright screen of her phone for a moment. "That's a good idea," she agreed. "I'll check to see if there are any stores nearby that we can stop at."

"Smart," Mike muttered, his light gaze lingering on the downpour outside. "Even if there was anything close, you really couldn't see it. You'd probably miss it."

April took a deep breath as she stared intently out the window at the pressing darkness ahead of them, her body tense as the sound of the heavy rain hitting the front windshield nearly drowned out Nick's quiet snores behind her. Then, another bright flash of lighting suddenly illuminated the road around them, and she gasped loudly just as the crash of thunder followed immediately after.

"Phil, look out!" she screamed.

The Straight Edge Superstar's eyes widened in fear when he realized too late that he hadn't seen the sharp turn in the road ahead through the torrential rain and growing darkness since the car's headlights hadn't reached the trees that lined the bend. He frantically started to turn the wheel as he eased up on the gas, but he knew it wouldn't do any good.

April closed her eyes tightly as she felt the car start to turn before it went off the road, hearing the startled screams of the rest of the vehicle's inhabitants as they continued past a few trees before they came to a sudden, crashing halt.

* * *

_Red and orange leaves gently rained down to the fresh green grass. The sound of a dog barking echoed around the yard. A tall man, his face hidden by the hood of a sweatshirt, stood looming on the wooden porch..._

A quiet groan escaped from April's throat as her eyes fluttered open. She slowly raised her head and looked out the window next to her, seeing that the rain was still falling heavily around them, a low rumble of thunder off in the distance. She rubbed her head and sighed when she saw the front end of the car dented around a tree, a thin trail of smoke rising from underneath the hood.

But then, she stiffened when she noticed something that was more concerning to her. The strong smell of gas.

Thinking quickly, April looked to her left, seeing that Phil was lying back against his seat, his eyes closed and his head resting limply on his shoulder. She reached out and started to shake his arm. "Phil," she whispered anxiously. "C'mon, Phil, wake up..."

Another pained groan reached her ears, but not the one she had hoped to hear. April quickly looked in the backseat, watching as Mike slowly awoke at Eve's gentle nudging. "Hey, are you okay?" the Latina asked with concern, lightly brushing her fingers over her boyfriend's cheek.

Mike closed his eyes for a minute as he quickly shook his head, attempting to clear it. "E-Eve?" he muttered when his gaze landed on her.

Eve smiled slightly in return. "Are you okay?" she repeated.

"My... my knee..." Mike muttered as he sat up slightly. "Must have jammed it... in the crash..."

The diva turned her attention to the knee he was pointing at, lightly setting her hand on it. Though Mike winced, she was able to tell that it wasn't out of place and hopefully hadn't suffered any other sort of serious damage. "You'll be okay," she told him. "You probably just bruised it."

Mike nodded in agreement as he passed a hand over his face before he looked up at his girlfriend again. "Are... are _you_ okay?" he wondered.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Eve assured him with a slight nod. "My shoulder just got caught in the seatbelt when we stopped..."

His eyes narrowing with concern, Mike reached out and carefully moved her lightweight sweatshirt aside a bit to see that a large bruise was starting to form across her shoulder and collar bone. He then set his hand on the back of her neck before resting his forehead against hers. "I'm glad you're okay," he murmured.

Eve briefly met his lips in a quick kiss before she turned to meet April's gaze. "Are you okay, sweetie?" she asked.

April slowly nodded in answer. "I'm not really hurt."

"Good."

The younger woman gave her a weak smile, but then she quickly turned to the Straight Edge Superstar when she felt him move slightly under her hand. "Phil?" She leaned a little closer to him, brushing a hand through his short dark hair to try to elicit more of a response out of him. She then sighed with relief when she was met with the sight of his weary hazel eyes, but concern immediately replaced it when he winced as he tried to sit up straighter.

"Whoa, Phil, are you okay, man?" Mike wondered, keeping a tight hold on Eve's hand as he leaned forward slightly.

A moment passed before Phil nodded, opening his eyes as he turned back to look at Mike. "My ribs..." he said quietly. "Hit the steering wheel..."

Mike's eyes narrowed with concern as he leaned forward more while Eve turned to the last member of their group who had yet to make any noise. Her eyes widened when she saw him, and she immediately reached out and set her hand on his arm. "Nick!"

April, Phil, and Mike all turned to look at the blond-haired man at her shout, seeing with worry that his eyes remained closed where he was leaning against the window, a thin trail of blood leaking out from his hairline. The self-proclaimed Awesome One leaned over with his girlfriend to help wake him, but Phil's brow suddenly furrowed as he looked around the car. "Hey, does anyone else smell gas?"

Eve paused for only a moment before she started to shake the Show-Off a bit more forcefully. "Nick, wake up!" she yelled.

A quiet groan escaped from Nick's throat, and he slowly opened his eyes and weakly looked around. "What... what happened..."

"All right, guys, get him out as quickly as you can," Phil muttered as he fumbled with his seatbelt for a moment before finally getting it undone. "I'll help you from the outside."

"Phil, we can't go out in _that_!" Mike protested, pointing out the window at the darkness. "We'll never find our way in that storm!"

The Straight Edge Superstar sighed as he looked back at the other man. "Do you have any better ideas?" he countered. "We can't risk staying here with that gas smell."

Knowing he was right, Mike sighed as he undid his seatbelt as well while Eve worked to get a weary Nick out of his. April sighed as she slowly took off her own, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as she glanced out at the pouring rain. Phil glanced at her to make sure that she was prepared, sighing quietly as his gaze passed over the t-shirt she wore.

"Here, take this."

April looked back at Phil, surprised as he slipped out of his red sweatshirt and offered it to her. "Won't you be cold?" she asked, seeing that he was now only wearing a t-shirt.

Phil just chuckled. "Nah, I'll be fine, girl," he answered. "C'mon, let's go."

Sighing quietly as she attempted to give him a thankful smile, April slipped the sweatshirt over her head. Phil returned the look before he pushed open the door with a little difficulty since it stuck fast before stepping outside into the rain. She did the same on the other side, pulling the hood of the large sweatshirt over her head as she hurried around the car to the other side just as the Straight Edge Superstar started to pull Nick out of the backseat while Eve helped to nudge him out from the inside. Phil then took the blond man's arm and wrapped it around his neck before wrapping his own arm behind his back to help support him. The Latina stepped outside next, pulling the hood of her lightweight sweatshirt over her head in a futile attempt to keep dry before Mike left the car last, shutting the door behind him.

"Now what?" Eve shivered slightly as a strong gust of wind blew past them, having to raise her voice to be heard over the storm.

Phil sighed as he looked around at the few trees that surrounded them as Mike took Nick's other arm and wrapped it around his neck as well. "Let's get back to the road!" he told her, having to raise his voice as well. "That'll be our best chance to find something!"

"What's out _here _on the outskirts of Jersey, man?" Mike pressed, his tone slightly frustrated. "We didn't see anything before we crashed!"

"There has to be something," Eve tried to assure him, setting her hand on his arm in a placating way. "Maybe some people live out here or something. We have to find a way to get some help for Nick!"

Phil looked at the Show-Off that he and Mike were supporting, noticing that though Nick was conscious, he still appeared exhausted as he looked around at the surrounding area. Eve was right. They needed to find some way to help him. "We'll just keep walking down the road in the direction we were driving!" he announced, raising his voice once more when another low rumble of thunder was heard in the distance. "We're bound to hit something eventually!"

Mike grumbled under his breath, but a small smile appeared on his face when Eve squeezed his hand reassuringly. The self-proclaimed Awesome One then shifted his focus to supporting Nick as he and Phil began to lead him along the grassy path, the Latina and April following along close behind.

After nearly slipping as they tried to get up the slight hill out of the trees, the quintet finally made it to the road, noticing that there wasn't any traffic. "This way," Phil muttered, nodding to his left as he began to pull Nick along with him and forcing Mike to follow. The two divas stuck close together as they made their way down the slick pavement, keeping their eyes peeled for any sign of shelter.

"Do... do you think we'll really find anything soon?" April wondered, her voice shaking slightly as another cold gust of wind blew at them.

Eve tried to pull her sweatshirt a little closer around her. "I... I hope so," she said. "It wouldn't be good for any of us to stay out in this storm for very long."

From ahead of them, Mike sighed as they continued along, his sore knee causing him to walk with a slight limp. "Come on, Phil, what are the chances of actually being close to something out here?"

Phil winced slightly as he glanced back at him, his ribs protesting to all the movement. "It's not impossible," he replied before turning his gaze to Nick. "Hanging in there, man?"

Nick blinked a couple times before he met Phil's gaze. "Yeah... I'll be fine," he said quietly. "Thanks for the help..."

Mike smiled slightly as he nodded in return. But then, the look vanished as he looked at the Straight Edge Superstar. "Oh, shit! What about our bags, Phil?"

Phil sighed. "Well, let's find something first," he told him. "Then if it's possible, we'll get a ride back to the car to get them. Else I'll just walk back."

"If that's the case, I'm going with you," Mike muttered. "No use asking for trouble in this storm."

"What about your knee?" Phil questioned, arching an eyebrow as he eyed the limp the other man was walking with.

Mike smirked. "What about your ribs?" he countered.

Phil gave him a small scowl. "Touché."

"Guys, what's that?" April suddenly asked loudly from behind them.

Mike and Phil brought Nick to a stop before they turned to see what the diva was pointing at while Eve squinted slightly to see what appeared to be a large black shape sitting on a vast lawn against the dark sky. A small flicker of lightning lit up the rolling storm clouds above, but it was just enough to reveal that it was a sizable Victorian-style, two-story house.

"Let's go see if someone's home," Eve suggested, wrapping her arms around herself as she continued to shiver. "At least we'd be able to get out of this rain."

"You think they'd really let five strangers into their house?" Mike wondered incredulously.

Eve narrowed her eyes slightly. "Do you have any other ideas, Mike?" she snapped. "We can't just stand out here in the rain!"

"Please, stop fighting..." April murmured, an uncomfortable look crossing her face.

"Yeah, you're only making my headache worse," Nick added, rubbing his forehead.

"Don't even think about it," Phil spoke up just as Mike opened his mouth to retort. "Look, Eve's right. We can't just stay out here all night. Let's just go up to the house, see if anyone's home, and decide what to do from there."

Mike rolled his eyes, but a low rumble of thunder caused him to nod in agreement. "All right, let's go."

The group of five made their way across the gently sloping lawn as quickly as they could, their steps hindered slightly by their feet sinking into the mud-soaked grass. They passed a couple thick-trunked, tall trees, their branches bare of most of their brightly colored leaves due to the heavy downpour. Nick stumbled a couple times, but he was kept upright by Phil and Mike. April and Eve trudged along behind them, just looking forward to getting to the house.

"Well, I don't see any cars around," Eve muttered as they finally started to make their way up the old, creaking stairs that led up to the wooden porch. "And no lights are on. Doesn't seem like anyone's home..."

Phil sighed as he looked around the porch as both divas lowered the hoods of their sweatshirts, glad to be under the shelter of the awning, spotting a fragile looking rocking chair sitting near the corner. "Here, Nick, have a seat," he told him, guiding him over along with Mike.

Nick took a deep breath as he slowly sat down in the rocking chair, which protested under the sudden weight. "Thanks, guys," he said, resting his head in his hand.

The Straight Edge Superstar nodded slightly with a small smile before he crossed his tattooed arms as he watched Mike walk to the front door and ring the doorbell. A moment passed, but they heard nothing except for the heavy rain that continued to fall around the house.

"No luck, man," the self-proclaimed Awesome One announced with a shrug, trying the door handle only to find that it was locked. "Doesn't work."

Undeterred, Phil squinted slightly as he looked into the dark house through the window. "No one's been here for years," he added. "Back away from the door, Mike."

Mike arched an eyebrow as he did what the other man said anyway. "What are you–!" But his question was instantly interrupted when Phil's foot suddenly connected forcefully with the door handle.

"Dude, what the hell are you doing?!" Nick demanded from where he sat in the rocking chair, Eve and April staring at the now open door with fear. "We can't just break in!"

"Trust me, no one's been here for a long time," Phil said as a form of explanation as he pushed the door open further. "Look for yourselves."

Mike, April, and Eve all cautiously leaned forward, seeing that the floor was covered in a thick layer of dust and there were white sheets covering all the furniture that made up the living room. It definitely appeared as though the house had been abandoned.

"It's better than nothing for now," Phil continued. "We'll leave as soon as the storm's over and figure out how to get to the city."

Eve sighed quietly as she exchanged a look with Mike before she nodded slightly. Though he still appeared slightly hesitant, Mike made his way back over to the rocking chair where Nick was sitting, taking a hold of his arm and helping him to his feet. Eve briefly set her hand on her boyfriend's arm as he approached her, glancing back at Phil and April before she followed them into the dark house.

Phil ran a hand through his short dark hair as he started to go after them, but not hearing footsteps behind him, he glanced over his shoulder at the new diva. "You coming, girl?" he asked.

April gasped quietly as she met Phil's gaze, but the Straight Edge Superstar had definitely noticed the nervous look that had passed over her face. "Um, yeah, coming," she answered quietly, her eyes once again traveling over the house warily.

"Um, okay. Whenever you're ready, then," Phil muttered, giving her a small smile before he walked inside himself.

A few minutes passed as April lingered behind on the porch, pulling Phil's sweatshirt a little closer around her as the wind picked up again. There was something about the house that was unnerving. She turned over her shoulder to look at the vast lawn behind her, and she gasped quietly when she saw a tall figure just out of the corner of her eye. But when she turned to face it completely, there was no one there.

**Author's Note**: Well, there's chapter one! I know, it's kinda the cliché setup for a horror movie/story, but for those of you who know my writing, you also know that I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve, and this story is no exception. As said before, I'll update this when I can! Hope you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	2. Part II: Nothing to Fear

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE!

**Summary**: A ghost story. Sent off course on a stormy night, five superstars are stranded together in an old house. But they're not alone. Something is haunting them, and they have to find a way to combat their deepest, darkest fears in order to survive the night.

**Author's Note**: Hey! Thanks for the reviews/follows/alerts on this guys, I really appreciate it! Glad to see my first venture into the horror section is going well :) Things will be getting stranger from this point on, and always remember to expect anything ;) Enjoy!

_Part II– Nothing to Fear..._

Eve sighed and shook her head as she tried the light switch near the door one more time without success. "Guess we shouldn't be too surprised that the power's been shut off," she muttered with frustration.

April glanced over her shoulder at the other woman as she slowly set down the phone's old receiver. "The landline is out too," she added.

"Surprise, surprise," Nick grumbled from where he was stretched out on the couch, the white sheets that had previously covered all the furniture piled carelessly in the dusty corner of the living room next to the grand piano. He sighed as he turned more onto his side to try to find a more comfortable position for his head on the armrest.

Eve rolled her eyes as she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, sighing quietly when she saw that she once again didn't have any service. Her worried gaze then traveled to the window, seeing that the heavy downpour was still persisting. She wished she had a way to contact her boyfriend. After doing a sweep of the house to make sure that it was as empty as it appeared to be, Phil and Mike had gone back out into the inclement weather to find the car again and grab their bags to bring back. She just wished there was a way to contact them and make sure they were okay.

Nick took a deep breath as he turned completely onto his side, his weary gaze landing on the stone fireplace with ash coating the bottom he was lying in front of. "Too bad we couldn't get a fire going, huh?" he wondered, slightly chilly in his soaked sweatshirt.

The Latina turned to look at him as she slipped her cell phone back in her pocket. "That's a good idea," she agreed. "Hey, April? Why don't you go see if you can find some matches or something in the kitchen? I'll look around here."

April quickly met her gaze, a slightly nervous look lingering on her face. "Um, yeah, okay..." she muttered, chuckling quietly before she slowly crossed the living room and pushed open the door that led into the dark kitchen.

Eve watched after her before she walked over to where Nick was lying on the couch, crouching down in front of him. She reached out and carefully pushed aside some of his drenched light hair to check on the small gash in his forehead that he had gotten in the crash, the light touch causing him to open his eyes and look up at her with confusion.

"What are you doing, Eve?" he asked quietly.

"Just making sure that this isn't showing any signs of infection," Eve answered with a slight smile. "Without any real supplies, that wouldn't be a good thing."

Nick laughed a little as the woman lowered her hand. "Don't worry about me, Eve. I'll be fine," he told her.

Eve's smile broadened slightly as she started to rise to her feet to look for matches, but the look immediately vanished when a panicked scream suddenly came from the kitchen.

* * *

Phil pulled out the last of the group's five bags and slammed the trunk of the ruined rental car closed. Sighing, he turned to Mike and nodded slightly before they carefully began to make their way up the muddy slanted hill that led back up to the road. The Straight Edge Superstar reached out and grabbed a secure hold of the other man's arm when he suddenly slipped, both of them nearly falling in the process.

"Sorry, man," Mike muttered once they each regained their balance. "It's just my knee... And the rain isn't making things much better..."

"This is why I didn't want you coming with me," Phil said, taking a deep breath as they finally got back up to empty road.

Mike chuckled as he fell into step beside him. "Well, at least that house isn't too far away," he countered. "And now we get a dry change of clothes."

Phil nodded in silent agreement, more relieved about that little fact than he cared to admit. With as soaked through with rain as he was, he couldn't wait to change as soon as they got back.

Their walk was relatively silent until Phil glanced at the self-proclaimed Awesome One when he slowed down slightly, noticing the limp he was walking with was a bit more prominent. "We're not too far away now," he told him, the dark, two-story house finally coming into view.

"Good." Mike laughed a little as they started to make their way across the drenched, mud-filled lawn. "It'll be nice to get out of this rain."

"Tell me about it." Phil winced slightly as he shifted the couple bags he was carrying to his other hand when the strain hurt his ribs a little. "It'll be nice to–!"

But his sentence was abruptly cut off when the loud, angry sound of a dog barking echoed around the vast lawn.

Mike's brow furrowed slightly as he came to a stop, looking at Phil with confusion. "Did you hear that?" he wondered.

Phil nodded slightly, his eyes narrowed as he looked around at the gently sloping lawn around them. "Yeah," he agreed. "I didn't see a dog here before..."

"And–!" Mike started, but his sentence was also caught off when another sharp, loud bark reached their ears.

The Straight Edge Superstar felt slightly unnerved as he nudged Mike's arm. "Come on, man, let's just get in the house..."

"Good idea." Mike sighed as he began to follow Phil as they passed the couple, nearly bare trees as they made their way toward the house. But then, they heard a low, threatening growl, and the two superstars paused and turned to look at the tall, looming shapes behind them. A small flicker of lighting lit the clouds above them, and their eyes widened with fear when they saw a large, snarling black dog looking back at them, its sharp teeth bared threateningly. It then barked once more before it lunged.

Phil grabbed a hold of Mike's arm to get him to move along with him as he began to run as fast as his pained ribs would allow toward the house, the dog in pursuit. The other man struggled somewhat to keep up with him before his sore knee finally gave out on him, and he stumbled a little before he fell. The Straight Edge Superstar stopped running and hurried back toward him, crouching down next to the self-proclaimed Awesome one to help pull him back up before the vicious dog could reach them.

"Come on, man, let's go," he muttered anxiously, yanking on his arms for a moment before he paused with confusion. "What the hell?"

Mike followed his wondering hazel gaze, and his light eyes narrowed when he saw what his friend did. The dog was gone.

"You... you did see that thing, right?" he wondered, looking at the other man.

Phil sighed as he ran a hand through his short, drenched hair. "Heard it too," he confirmed, searching for any sign of the dog through the torrential downpour. But he found none.

Mike closed his eyes in relief as he tried to catch his breath. "Dude, I thought I was a goner..." he muttered.

"I think we both would have been," Phil added with a smirk.

"No kidding. The teeth on that thing were huge!"

"Yeah." Phil scanned the vast lawn once more to make sure there really was no dog before he slowly rose to his feet. "I don't know what the hell that was, but I think we should get back in the house. If anything, just to get out of this rain."

Mike nodded in agreement, accepting Phil's hand as the other man helped to pull him up. "So, uh, how about we keep this little incident to ourselves?" he suggested. "Don't wanna scare anyone."

Phil chuckled quietly as they slowly started to cover the rest of the short distance to the house. "Agreed."

* * *

April looked around the dark kitchen as she pushed through the door, her nervous gaze flickering over the long, rectangular table with its five chairs, the small chandelier that hung over it, and the hard counter surrounded by drawers and high wooden cabinets. She slowly walked toward the counter, humming quietly to herself as her footsteps echoed loudly off the hardwood floor. It was the most logical spot she could think of for someone to keep matches in a kitchen.

But before she could start looking, she slowly turned to look back at the table when she heard a quiet noise from behind her. She narrowed her eyes slightly to try to see better in the darkness, and when a flicker of lightning up in the clouds lit up the room slightly, a panicked scream escaped from her.

About a minute later, the door to the kitchen opened as Eve stepped inside with Nick close behind, her phone held in front of her as a sort of flashlight to cast the darkness away. "April, what's wrong?" she asked anxiously.

She then heard a quiet sound from the floor near her, and the Latina lowered her phone in time to see two big rats scurry past her feet into the living room. A startled shriek escaped from her as she quickly took a couple steps back away from them, and Nick laughed.

"Seriously? Geeze, you two get scared over the smallest things," he said. "In this case, literally!"

Eve smacked his arm in response. "You _do_ know that rats carry diseases, don't you?" she countered.

Nick shrugged as he rubbed the spot where she had hit him in a disgruntled way. "Just leave 'em alone, and they'll leave you alone," he replied irritably. "It's an old house. You guys seriously didn't expect things like that to be hanging around?"

Shaking her head, Eve turned her attention back to the younger woman. "You're okay though, right, April?" she wondered.

April nodded as a small, weak smile appeared on her face. "Yeah, they just startled me, that's all," she assured her.

Eve sent another glare Nick's way, who just gave her an innocent look, before she walked over to the counter as well with her phone to guide her. "At least this gives us a little bit of light," she muttered, her gaze moving around the room a tad nervously as she joined the new diva. "Any luck looking for matches in here?"

"Um, I was just about to start," April said as she turned back to the drawers and cabinets she had been about to search. A moment passed before she reached out and pulled one of the drawers above the stove open, and Eve moved her phone closer so that they could see better. Inside were a box of toothpicks, a magnifying glass, a few hot pads, and a couple of matchboxes.

"Hey, good guess," Eve praised, reaching out and picking up the one closest to them so she didn't have to stick her hand too far in the drawer. Who knew what other little surprises could be waiting for them in the little nooks and crannies?

April shrugged as she smiled slightly. "We keep our matches in pretty much the same spot at my house," she replied. "Thought it'd be a good place to start."

Eve laughed a little as she shut the drawer again, and then they both looked in Nick's direction when they heard what sounded like the front door opening. The Show-Off glanced over his shoulder and gave a slight nod. "They're back," he told them.

"Oh, good," Eve muttered with relief as she hurried past Nick back into the living room in time to see Mike and Phil, who were both drenched, shut the door again behind them. "Glad you guys are back."

Mike smiled slightly when his girlfriend approached. "So are we," he replied, ruffling her hair. "I'd give you a hug, but as you can see, I'm soaked."

"Ah, that's okay." Eve smiled as she gave him a brief hug anyway. "We found some matches, so as long as we can get some stuff to burn, we can get a fire going."

Phil glanced up from where he was wringing out his t-shirt as April and Nick walked in from the kitchen, a smile on his own face. "That sounds like a great idea," he said. "I'm sure we'll find some things around. We could set our clothes around it to dry too."

Mike nodded his agreement as he slowly limped over to an armchair near the couch, lowering himself into it with a little help from Eve before stretching his sore knee out in front of him. "I'll help look in a little bit if you need me to," he told them.

"Nah, I think we'll be fine," Phil countered. "There's gotta be stuff around here somewhere."

Eve wandered over to where a lamp sat on a small end table next to the couch, crouching down in front of it when she noticed that there was a small shelf attached underneath. She reached out to see if there was anything inside, gasping quietly when her manicured fingers came in contact with what felt like string. She used her phone to shine a light on the shelf, her nose wrinkling slightly in disgust when she saw a thick spiderweb over the entrance. Taking a deep breath, she brushed away the rest of it as quickly as she could before cautiously reaching inside, and a smile appeared on her face at what she felt.

"Hey, guys, check this out!" she announced, turning to look at the rest of the group as she held up a stack of what she had found. "Old magazines! Like really old." She raised a semi-amused eyebrow when she noticed a lot of the fashion and home improvement ones dated back to the eighties.

"That's a start at least," Nick said with a sigh as he sank back onto the couch and closed his eyes, setting a hand on his head.

"It'll be good for burning," Phil added from where he stood looking at the mantle above the fireplace to see if he could find something there. "Anything else over there, Eve?"

"Um..." Eve then opened the small drawer on the end table above the shelf, seeing that a rusted silver locket and a faded version of the King James Bible were resting inside. For a moment, she wondered why these things of apparent value had been left behind when whoever had lived in the house moved out. "Nothing much. But these magazines should last us for a while."

April wandered around the living room, looking around carefully to see if there was anything else available that would make good fuel for a fire. She then wandered back into the kitchen, her eyes narrowing slightly as they scanned the room. The petite diva made her way around the counter, and she saw that there was a shelf with a few antique salt and pepper shakers, sugar bowls, and a pile of newspapers sitting on them. A small smile appearing on her face, she grabbed the stack and hurried back into the living room.

"I found these!" April told the rest of the group, the look lingering as she held them up for emphasis.

Phil looked away from where he and Eve were knelt in front of the fireplace, tearing pages out of the magazines the latter had found, and smiled in return. "Awesome," he said, holding his hand out toward her. "This should last us through the night."

"That's lucky, isn't it?" Nick muttered. "I'm surprised all this crap's still here. You would think the people who lived here would have taken it with them or thrown it out or something." Mike just shrugged slightly.

April began to make her way toward the fireplace, but then she paused when something on the front page of the top newspaper caught her eye. "Um, here, I'll start crumpling these up since you guys are doing that," she muttered, keeping the pile close to her as she knelt down next to Phil.

The Straight Edge Superstar raised an eyebrow before he shrugged and chuckled quietly. "All right, girl," he replied. "Just not too many pages since we already have quite a few magazine ones in there."

"Okay." April smiled at him before she took the front page off the top newspaper and crumpled it up before tossing it in the fireplace along with the scraps of magazine that were already there.

"It'd probably be easier to burn if it wasn't so crumpled up," Eve suggested with a small smile, setting another magazine page in as well.

April nodded slightly. "Yeah, that's true," she agreed, setting a few more sheets of newspaper in the fireplace.

Phil tore out a couple more pages from the fashion magazine he held and tossed them in before he shut it. "Okay, that should be good for now," he muttered, rising to his feet and setting his magazine as well as Eve's back in the pile that he had made on top of the mantle. He then reached down and took the pile of newspapers that April was offering him and set them there as well. "Where are the matches?"

Eve reached into the pocket of her soaked sweatshirt. "Here," she said, holding the matchbox out to him. "I don't think they got too wet."

"Let's see." Phil took the matchbox, sliding it open to investigate the matches inside. "I think these will be okay." He took one out and tried to strike it against the side of the box, sighing with frustration after it didn't work after a couple more attempts.

"Can't really say I'm too surprised," Nick muttered as the dark-haired man discarded the match in the fireplace.

Phil cast an annoyed glance at his blond-haired friend before pulling out another match. "Yeah, well I'm not giving up yet," he stated. "There's about half a box's worth in here." Nick chuckled quietly, but Phil tried to strike the match regardless. After a couple times, he smiled triumphantly when he managed to get it lit.

"Look at that," the Straight Edge Superstar boasted as he held up the match for Nick to see. "I give you fire." Then, he tossed it into the fireplace before it could burn him, and the small flame caught a corner of a magazine page and started to spread until it filled the entire area.

"Shut up, man," Nick said with a grin. "Not that I'm not grateful that we got a fire going..."

"Dude, you are the man," Mike said with a laugh, leaning forward a little and holding his hands out toward the fireplace. "Way to go, Phil!"

"The heat feels really good," Eve agreed with a smile as she took off her drenched lightweight sweatshirt and set it on the floor in front of her to dry. She then took Nick's and set it out in front of the fireplace too, closely followed by Mike's. "And at least it's a little brighter in here now. Not so gloomy."

Phil sighed as he slipped off his water-logged t-shirt and set it on the floor next to the other sweatshirts, wiping away some water that had dripped into his eyes from his hair. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna go change," he muttered, walking around the couch to get his bag from where he had left it by the door.

"Here, man." Mike held up his hands in front of him, and the Straight Edge Superstar tossed him his bag before doing the same to Nick. They then slowly got to their feet and followed Phil into the kitchen to change and to give the women some privacy while they did the same, and Eve reluctantly stood and walked over to the door to grab both her and April's bags.

The younger diva stayed kneeling in front of the fire, staring at the flickering flames until she looked away when the Latina approached her. "Thanks," she muttered, taking her own bag from her proffered hand.

"Sure thing, sweetie." Eve began to go through her bag, finally pulling out a dry t-shirt and a pair of athletic shorts. "You doing okay?"

"Me? Yeah." April smiled slightly as she started looking through her own bag for something to change into. Then, she paused as she sighed, looking up at the older woman. "There's just something about this house that I really don't like."

Eve met her gaze as she nodded slightly. "Me either," she said. "But hopefully we won't have to be here too long. Come morning, we'll get the hell outta' here."

April laughed a little as she pulled out a mid-length shirt and a pair of light blue pajama pants, pulling off Phil's sweatshirt and turning her back to Eve for decency sake as they both changed into their dry clothes. They then left their jeans and shirts, along with their shoes and socks, in front of the fireplace to dry and sat down on the couch.

Phil came back into the living room a few minutes later, now barefoot and wearing sweatpants and a dark tank top, setting his wet clothes in front of the fire as Mike, wearing a different pair of jeans and a t-shirt, followed. Nick came in last, having changed his t-shirt and was now wearing a pair of black and white basketball shorts, and they both set their clothes on the floor as well.

"Well, at least we're all more comfortable now," the self-proclaimed Awesome One announced, attempting to brighten the slightly somber mood that had settled over the living room at least a little bit. Eve moved over on the couch closer to April, and he squeezed into the remaining spot next to his girlfriend.

Nick sighed as he sank into the armchair that Mike had previously occupied while Phil perched on the arm of the couch. "I guess that says something," he mumbled. "But that doesn't change the fact that we're stuck here."

"As I was telling April before, it won't be for long," Eve countered with a roll of her eyes as she snuggled into Mike's side when he wrapped an arm around her. "We'll be outta' here by morning."

The Show-Off arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, that's if we can call for help to get to the city," he told her.

Phil sighed when no one argued this point, knowing that it was a nagging fear in the back of all their minds. He glanced down at April next to him, noticing that she was staring at the blazing fireplace before them as her hands wrung nervously in her lap, and he reached out and lightly patted her tense back.

It was going to be a long night.

**Author's Note**: So, things are starting to get a bit weird already. But don't worry, there's always more to come. Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	3. Part III: Darkness Rises

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE!

**Summary**: A ghost story. Sent off course on a stormy night, five superstars are stranded together in an old house. But they're not alone. Something is haunting them, and they have to find a way to combat their deepest, darkest fears in order to survive the night.

**Author's Note**: Wow, thanks for the reviews, you guys! I'm glad you're all liking this story! Well, hopefully as we go on, it won't disappoint. Remember when I said things were gonna get stranger? Yeah, here we go! Enjoy! :)

_Part III– Darkness Rises_

"Go fish."

Phil looked up from the hand of cards he held, scowling slightly with frustration as he reached out and picked up a card from the pile that sat between him, Mike, and Eve. They were definitely glad that the latter had brought her pack of playing cards along like she usually did for long car trips since they now had entertainment that would last them for at least a couple of hours. On the floor with them were some granola bars and chip bags, along with a few bottles of water and Gatorade, that the group had all combined to give them some snacks for the night.

"Nice, Eve," Mike muttered, still chuckling at the disgruntled look that was on the Straight Edge Superstar's face since the diva hadn't had any cards that he needed before looking at his own hand. "All right, Phil. Do you have any threes?"

A slight smirk tugged at the corner of Phil's lips as he turned to the light-eyed man. "Go fish," he told him.

Nick shook his head slightly and glanced at April sitting beside him on the couch. "Never thought I'd see these guys playing Go Fish," he said. "Though I expect this to get really competitive in a few minutes."

April glanced over at the Show Off, a small smile on her face. "Well, it is a pretty fun game," she replied.

"Then why didn't you wanna play?" Nick wondered as he raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I dunno." April shrugged slightly. "Just not in the mood, I guess. Kinda need to be in the right mood to play that game, you know?"

"Yeah, I suppose," Nick agreed with a quiet sigh, moving his gaze back to their other three friends sitting in front of the fireplace. "Wanna play the next game?"

"Maybe," April told him. "We'll see." And the conversation was dropped.

Suddenly, Mike let out a frustrated noise. "What the hell? How can you not have _any_ of my cards, man?!" he shouted.

Phil arched an amused eyebrow. "Hey, your girlfriend never has any of mine, and you don't hear me complaining," he countered. "So shut your mouth and play the damn game!"

"See? What'd I tell ya?" Nick murmured with a smirk. April just chuckled quietly, her eyes lingering on Phil as he finally got a match off of Eve.

However, it didn't take much longer until Mike accused Phil of cheating and threatened to quit the game unless he admitted to it. Phil refused since he claimed he wasn't cheating, and Eve just stated that it would be easier for her to win if he bailed since she already had the most matches. This convinced him to stay in the game until the bitter end.

The game itself didn't last long either, ending in a draw between Phil and Eve. Mike grumbled under his breath as he dumped his cards back into the middle where the rest of the pile sat between them, the other two players doing the same. "So, what next?" the self-proclaimed Awesome One wondered. "Another round of Go Fish or a different game?"

"Um, how about Poker?" Phil suggested. "I'm good at that."

Mike chuckled. "Got a good Poker face, Phil?" he asked.

Phil smirked. "I don't blink," he answered.

"It's true," Nick spoke up from the couch. "I played with him and Colton once." A smile appeared on his face at the memory of playing the game in question with the Straight Edge Superstar and his best friend, Scott Colton, better known as Colt Cabana. It hadn't gone well since neither he nor Scott had been able to call Phil's bluff.

"Well, I'm up for the challenge," Mike stated boldly. "Bring it on, Brooks. Though are you sure you don't want this to be strip Poker?"

"Hey, I'm in!" Nick slid down to the floor and sat between Phil and Eve. "That is if Torres is playing," he quickly added with a wink. He laughed when Eve smacked his arm.

"No, we're not gonna play strip Poker," Phil muttered as he laughed a little himself.

Nick grinned. "C'mon, man. We're in a house in the middle of nowhere," he reminded him. "When is there ever gonna be a time where playing strip Poker will _not_ be any less awkward?"

Phil nodded slightly in agreement. "Well..."

Eve rolled her eyes. "If you three wanna play that, go right ahead," she said. "I'm not going to."

Mike smiled as he wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's waist and pulled her close. "Hey, babe, we're just kidding," he told her. "Play a normal round of Poker with us."

Sighing, Eve smiled slightly as she quickly kissed Mike's cheek. "Okay, fine," she agreed. "One round of _normal _Poker."

"Of course, Eve." Phil smirked at her as he picked up all the cards and began to shuffle them before he glanced up at the remaining member of their group still sitting on the couch. "Oh, hey. You wanna play, April?"

"Promise it won't be strip Poker," Nick added. "Unless you wanna play later or something." Phil raised an eyebrow.

"Only kidding, of course." The Show-Off chuckled.

April, who had been absently looking around the living room, turned back to the group. "Um, no, that's okay," she said. "I'll just watch for now."

"Suit yourself, girl." Phil smiled slightly as he continued to shuffle the deck.

A couple minutes later, April slowly rose off the couch and wandered over to the piano, bending over to brush off the thick layer of dust that had settled on the bench over the years. She sat down in front of the large, old instrument, carefully lifting the cover and studying the yellowed keys for a long moment before she cautiously reached out and lightly pressed down on one of the higher notes, causing a shrill sound to fill the room.

Phil glanced over his shoulder at the piano while Mike, Eve, and Nick looked at the young diva curiously. April ignored their looks as she hit a few more notes in a tune that sounded like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" that was off-key.

"I didn't know you played the piano," Eve commented.

April laughed a little as she paused, glancing over her shoulder at the others. "That's one of the few songs I remember," she said. "But this piano's really out of tune." She pushed down on one of the foot pedals, finding that it was too loose and didn't work.

"Better than I could do," Mike muttered as Nick raised an eyebrow.

"You and me both." Phil chuckled as he then started to distribute the cards to the other players.

"Didn't you play the saxophone for a while back in high school or something?" Nick wondered, starting to collect his cards into his hand.

"Alto," Phil confirmed.

"Do you still play that?" Eve asked as she took her next card from the Straight Edge Superstar.

"Nah." Phil shrugged, setting a card in his own pile. "No time with being on the road and everything. But it's something that you don't completely forget."

Eve nodded. "You should pick it up again," she told him.

Phil raised an amused eyebrow. "And why would that be, Torres?"

The Latina shrugged. "No reason," she replied. "Just something about men and instruments, I guess."

"Hey." Mike pouted at his girlfriend, who just laughed a little as she rubbed his shoulder.

April smiled as she turned back to the piano, starting to play the short song from the beginning again. Phil was just about finished with distributing the cards for a round of Poker when a wrong note was hit, and he winced slightly as April started over.

But then, he glanced at the fireplace when the flames drastically flickered as if by a sudden breeze that was unfelt by them. "Hold on a minute, guys," he muttered. The Straight Edge Superstar sighed as he rose to his feet and took a couple pages from the newspaper on top of the pile that was sitting on the mantle to fuel the fire. He had only tossed them in, however, when there was a loud _bang _shortly followed by a scream from April.

Phil quickly looked up as the young diva rose to her feet and scrambled away from the piano, steadying her when she stumbled into him. "Whoa, are you okay?" he asked anxiously while Eve, Nick, and Mike watched with concern.

April took a few shuddering breaths before she nodded slightly, holding the fingers of her left hand close to her. "The... the cover of the piano suddenly fell," she answered shakily. "It... it barely missed me..."

Sighing, Phil slowly wrapped his arms around her as April rested her forehead against his shoulder, patting her on the back a couple times in effort to calm her down slightly. Mike and Eve exchanged relieved looks while Nick looked at her with some worry lingering in his gaze.

"It's okay," the dark-haired man muttered, continuing to pat April's back as a low rumble of thunder echoed in the distance. He was relieved that she wasn't applying any pressure to his pained ribs. "It's okay."

The game of Poker that followed was a more subdued one while April watched silently from the couch, and it only ended when Nick finally folded against Phil's full hand. Eve had nearly fallen asleep on Mike's shoulder after she had pulled out of the game earlier, and the self-proclaimed Awesome One mumbled something himself about trying to get some rest.

"Well, there are those three bedrooms upstairs if you guys wanted to catch a nap or something," Nick reminded them.

"Yeah, I think that's what we'll do," Mike agreed as he rose to his feet with Eve beside him before they picked up their bags and crossed the living room. "Night, guys."

"Night," the rest of the group chorused as the Latina helped her boyfriend up the wooden stairs that led up to the second floor, the steps creaking dangerously under their weight. Nick sighed as he turned back to the flickering fireplace, and April yawned from where she still sat. Phil smiled slightly.

"You look like you could use some rest yourself, girl," he muttered.

Sighing, April brushed some of her brown hair out of her face. "Yeah, that might be a good idea..." She slowly stood from the couch, picking up her own bag before she made her way to the staircase. However, she stopped once she reached it, and a small smile appeared on her face as she looked back at Phil and Nick. "I'll see you guys later."

"Yep." Nick chuckled quietly as the young diva made her way up the creaking steps before turning his attention to the other man. "So, if you want to take the last bedroom, man, I think I'm just gonna camp out down here," he told him, sighing as he slowly stretched out on the couch once more to rest his pounding head.

Phil smirked slightly as he crouched before the fireplace to check on it. "Thank you for the kind offer, but I don't think I'm gonna be getting any sleep tonight," he replied with a slightly sarcastic tone.

The look on the Show-Off's face mirrored the other man's. "Why not, Phil?" he wondered. "You scared?"

"No, I'm not scared." Phil chuckled as he straightened up and turned to face the couch. "I'm an insomniac, you dumbass."

Nick's eyes gleamed mischievously. "Aww, I thought big bad Phiw was scawed of the dawk, scawy house," he mocked. "Scawed thewe might be ghosties?"

"Cut the baby talk, man," Phil told him, though he couldn't help but grin. But then, the look faltered slightly when he remembered the black dog that had chased him and Mike before it strangely vanished. He was still convinced that there was a reasonable explanation for what they had seen. "I don't believe in stuff like that."

"Fair enough." Nick sighed as he stretched and closed his eyes. "I'm not sure if I believe in ghosts or not. Guess I'd have to see one for myself."

"Yeah." The dark-haired man lowered himself into the armchair, sitting cross-legged as he glanced out at the pouring rain that was still persisting. Then, his typical smirk appeared on his face as he turned back to Nick. "So, what's up with you and April, huh?"

Startled, Nick quickly opened his eyes and looked back at him. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

Phil chuckled as he fully faced his friend. "Just couldn't help but notice how you were teasing her before," he answered. "You like her? You know you can tell me. It's not like I'm one to gossip or something."

The Show-Off smiled as he shook his head slightly. "No, I don't," he said. "I mean..." He stopped with a sigh. "She's a good kid. And she's kinda cute."

"Whatever you say, Nick."

Rolling his eyes, the blond man found a more comfortable position on the couch, watching as Phil picked up a granola bar from the floor before he closed his eyes. The warmth coming from the fireplace made the room more comfortable, and he listened to the other man going through his bag until he slowly dozed off.

* * *

Eve took a deep breath as she rolled over on top of the sheets on the bed that she and Mike were lying on, unable to get comfortable. She was slightly jealous of her boyfriend, who had somehow been able to fall asleep even with their bags beneath their heads as pillows, but she also knew what it was that was probably keeping her awake. Even though she felt slightly secure with Mike's arm wrapped loosely around her waist, the darkness of the room was stifling, especially with the storm clouds in the sky blocking out most of the moon's gentle light.

Knowing that she wouldn't be getting much sleep with her mind on high alert, the Latina sighed and carefully sat up on the bed, slowly moving out from under the self-proclaimed Awesome One's arm so she wouldn't wake him. She then opened her bag and pulled out the water bottle she had brought from downstairs and stood up, taking her cell phone out of her pocket and using the bright light from the screen to guide her way out of the room and into the equally dark hallway. Eve slowly made her way in the direction of the staircase, passing by the empty bedroom as well as the one that April was using until she came to the open door that led into the decent-sized bathroom.

Only hesitating for a moment, Eve stepped inside, flinching slightly when the tile floor was much colder to her bare feet than the carpet in the bedroom and the hallway had been. She stopped in front of the sink, briefly gazing at her exhausted reflection in the mirror before she unscrewed the lid of the water bottle. A short flash of lightning brightened up the room just as she bent over to splash some of the cool liquid on her face, and when she straightened up again when a low rumble of thunder echoed in the night outside, Eve gasped loudly when she saw a tall, broad-shouldered figure with the hood of a sweatshirt concealing his features standing near the white shower curtain behind her.

But when she turned around, there was no one there.

Trying to slow her racing heart as she told herself her tired mind was playing tricks on her, Eve cautiously approached the shower and pushed aside the curtain to sneak a glance inside. She laughed a little when she saw the bathtub was empty, and she shook her head slightly as she took her place in front of the sink again to splash some more water on her face.

But then, the Latina diva quickly looked toward the door of the bathroom when what sounded like a childish laugh reached her ears, but once more, she didn't see anyone standing in the dark hallway. "Someone there?" she wondered. "Mike? April? Nick? Phil?"

There was no answer.

Eve sighed with frustration. "Not funny, guys," she muttered. "Come on, now." But there was still no answer from the heavy darkness of the hallway.

Shaking her head slightly, Eve splashed a little more water on her face before she screwed the cap back on the bottle and turned away from the sink. But then, she abruptly paused when she noticed that the thick darkness from the hall almost appeared to be bleeding into the bathroom, slowly making its way toward her. She took a few steps back and turned around, gasping quietly as she watched the shadows lingering in the high corners begin to leak down the walls and cover the window, blocking out the little light that had been filtering into the room.

The Latina anxiously reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone with shaking hands, pushing all the buttons she could to have at least a little bit of light to arm herself with. But it did nothing to keep the darkness at bay, and the bathroom door slammed sharply just as a loud scream escaped from her when it engulfed her completely.

* * *

Phil turned the page in the _Locke & Key_ comic book he had brought along for free time reading, glancing up at Nick before he could start on the first panel. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw that the Show-Off was still sleeping soundly on the couch. Ever since he had sustained the slight head injury in the crash, he had seemed very tired, which was a matter of concern. Sighing quietly, he glanced out the window and saw that the rain was still falling as heavily as ever, wishing that the storm would let up so that they could find their way to the city. Though he decided that if his friend's health didn't improve within the next couple of hours, he would go out and see what he could find himself. A head injury was something he didn't want to chance.

The Straight Edge Superstar moved to a more comfortable position in the armchair, only starting to continue reading when he heard a loud scream come from upstairs. He immediately set the book down and pushed himself to his feet, leaving the sleeping Nick behind as he took the creaking steps two at a time. The panicked sound continued when he reached the top landing, and he saw that April was standing in front of a closed door frantically trying to open it, and Phil heard that the screams were coming from the other side.

"What's going on?" he asked, hurrying over to the young diva.

"I–I don't know," April answered with a slight stutter. "I–I was just sitting up in bed when I s-saw Eve go in here. And the... the door closed, and she... started screaming..."

Phil tried the doorknob even though he had seen April do the same, and his brow furrowed slightly when he felt that it was unlocked, yet the door still stuck fast no matter how hard he pushed on it. Taking a deep breath, he reached out and pounded loudly on the wooden surface. "Eve, open the door!" he shouted. "Eve!"

The only answer he got was more panicked screaming.

Then, both Phil and April quickly looked up in time to see Mike walk out of a room a couple doors down, rubbing his sleep-filled eyes. "Wh... what are you two doing out here?" he mumbled.

"Eve's in here," Phil told him, pounding on the door a couple more times.

All hints of exhaustion instantly left Mike's features when he heard his girlfriend scream once more, and he pushed past April and the Straight Edge Superstar to get to the door. He anxiously tried the handle with the same success they had before starting to pound on the hard surface himself. "Eve! _Eve_!"

There was no response other than another scream.

"Move," Phil muttered, shoving the other man to the side. Taking a deep breath, he braced himself before he rammed his shoulder into the door, causing the wood around the frame to splinter a little. He paused and winced when his sore ribs flared with pain at the impact, briefly noticing the look of concern on April's face before he did the same thing with a little more force.

This time, the old door gave under the pressure as it opened a crack, and Phil stepped back as Mike moved forward and forced it open further by giving it a hard kick with his good leg. The Straight Edge Superstar leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes for a moment, his hand resting on his side. April watched as the self-proclaimed Awesome One hurried into the bathroom before she approached the dark-haired man, her eyes narrowing with worry when she noticed that his face was a little paler.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

A short moment passed before Phil opened his eyes and met her gaze, giving her a small, typical smirk. "No worries, girl," he answered quietly as he pushed off from the wall with a slight wince. He then slowly made his way into the bathroom, and April sighed as she followed after him.

Eve was sitting against the sink with her knees pulled up to her chest, her hand held up in front of her with her lit phone held tightly in her palm. Mike was knelt next to her with an arm around her shoulders, using his other hand to block his eyes from the light from the small screen whenever it hit them. "Damn it... Eve, put the phone down," he muttered, trying to lower her arm without success. "What's wrong?"

Phil made his way over to the couple with April, who was looking at the Latina curiously. He knelt down in front of them, setting a hand on her other arm. Eve jumped under his light touch and moved the phone in his direction, and Phil raised his free hand to shield his eyes from the bright light. "Eve, we're here," he told her gently. "What's the matter?"

A moment passed as Eve took a few quick, deep breaths, a couple of tears leaking out from her eyes. "It's so dark... It just filled the room..."

Mike exchanged a concerned look with Phil, both men knowing that the one thing Eve couldn't stand was complete darkness. "It's not that dark in here," the former whispered, to which the tattooed man slowly shook his head.

April crouched down next to the other three superstars, tilting her head slightly as she looked at the clearly panicked diva. She shielded her eyes when Eve's brightly lit phone moved in her direction, setting her hand on the other woman's knee. "Eve?"

But then, April heard a quiet noise from behind her as well as felt a soft, cold breeze against the back of her neck, and she slowly turned to look over her shoulder. Her eyes widened in fear when she saw a tall, broad-shouldered figure standing in the doorway, the hood of his sweater covering his face.

* * *

"Eve?"

The Latina heard April's quiet, concerned voice, as well as the voices of Mike and Phil, and felt her hand on her knee, but she couldn't see them. The room was completely black, so dark that it was almost suffocating, and all she could see were moving shadows to represent her friends. One of them, she couldn't tell who since the shapes really had no distinct form, who was directly in front of her was a few shades lighter than the other two, but at the moment, she really didn't care. All she wanted was some light.

But then, she noticed that all of the shadows seemed to be lifting slightly, and Eve felt herself starting to breathe easier despite how slowly it was starting to get a little lighter. She still couldn't clearly see the three in the room with her, but at least the darkness wasn't nearly so heavy.

Suddenly, her eyes widened with fear when she saw a bright figure standing in the doorway amongst the shadows, appearing to be wearing some sort of hood to conceal his features. The sudden light was almost blinding to her, and she pulled her legs closer to her when she felt his gaze land directly on her.

Then, even though the room was continuing to lighten around her, her vision suddenly completely left her, and a pained scream escaped from her when an intense burning feeling began to form in her eyes.

* * *

April's panicked scream caused Phil to quickly look over his shoulder, and his eyes narrowed when he saw the tall, hooded figure standing in the doorway. He hadn't heard anyone else enter the house, and they had been alone when they had arrived. Of that, he was certain.

Mike pulled Eve, who was starting to calm down, closer to him when he saw the broad-shouldered man as well, shielding her from the eyes they couldn't see. "Who are you?" he demanded angrily. The Straight Edge Superstar sent him a quick but dark glare as April grabbed hold of his of arm.

There was no response from the strange figure, and the three of them watched as he titled his head slightly as he turned his gaze to Eve.

Suddenly, a pained scream came from the Latina, and Mike and Phil quickly turned their attention back to her. "Eve, what's wrong?" her boyfriend wondered anxiously, setting his hand on her cheek. He was alarmed to feel that her skin was warm to the touch.

"My... my eyes..." Eve managed to tell him, grabbing tightly onto Mike with one hand while she pressed on her closed eyes with her other. "They're... they're burning..."

April stared at the strange figure with fear in her eyes, shaking her head slightly as she quickly rose to her feet and stumbled back away from the group to try and put as much distance between herself and whoever was watching them. The hooded man quickly turned his attention to her at the sudden motion, and the young diva was horrified when she felt the wall behind her back. There was nowhere else for her to go.

Thinking quickly now that the man was distracted, Phil grabbed Eve's half-empty water bottle and threw it at him as hard as he could. The man looked directly at the Straight Edge Superstar, but as soon as the bottle reached him, it went right through him as the figure himself dissolved into the darkness of the hall. The dark-haired man stared at the empty doorway where the other man had once stood in shock, only looking away when he heard Mike starting to stutter.

"Did... did that guy... just..." But the self-proclaimed Awesome One was unable to complete his thought.

Phil just shook his head slightly, having no answer to give his friend. His hazel gaze passed over the panicked April, still standing pale-faced against the wall near the window, before he turned his attention to Eve as she started to calm down. Mike sighed quietly with relief when he felt that her skin was swiftly cooling down as she slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times as she squinted slightly in the moonlight filtering into the room.

"Eve?" he said quietly. "Are you all right?"

The Latina looked around the bathroom, her terrified gaze landing first on April standing nearby to Phil crouched in front of her, to Mike beside her with his arm around her securely. She had never been more relieved to see them, and with the burning sensation and the darkness finally gone from her eyes, she felt a couple more tears roll down her cheeks as she nodded slightly in silent answer.

"Thank God," Mike muttered, pulling his girlfriend closer into his arms as she rested her head on his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head as she hugged him tightly, a couple sobs escaping from her. "You're okay now... It'll be okay..."

Phil watched the couple with a small smile on his face, though the look waned as his thoughts lingered on the man who had been watching them. He had no idea who, or what, he had been, or what he had been doing to Eve and how. It was these unknowns that unnerved him.

Then, he glanced up when he heard a quiet sound from near the window, and his eyes narrowed slightly when he saw that the younger diva was still standing against the wall appearing petrified. "April?" he pressed.

At the quiet sound of his concern, April quickly looked back at him, her gaze faltering slightly as she watched Mike and Eve. Then, without a word, she pushed off from the wall and ran for the door.

"April!" Phil reached out for her hand as she passed him, but all he grasped was air as he barely missed it, and he was only able to watch as she disappeared into the darkness of the hall.

**Author's Note**: Well, things are certainly getting interesting. Who/what is this guy? Well, we'll find out in a few chapters, lol! Just as a head's up, school is really keeping me busy, so I'll update when I can. Hopefully, it'll be soon! Thanks for reading, guys! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	4. Part IV: Silence is Golden

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE!

**Summary**: A ghost story. Sent off course on a stormy night, five superstars are stranded together in an old house. But they're not alone. Something is haunting them, and they have to find a way to combat their deepest, darkest fears in order to survive the night.

**Author's Note**: Ah! I'm so thrilled that you guys are liking this story so much :) It really means a lot! Thanks for all the reviews! Enjoy the chapter! And if you celebrate it, I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving!

_Part IV– Silence is Golden_

Mike sighed quietly as he brushed some of Eve's hair out of her face, relieved to see that she was sleeping peacefully where she was curled up on the armchair in the living room. He then glanced over his shoulder at where Phil was throwing a few more pages from the magazine and newspaper pile they had on the mantle into the fireplace to keep the fire going to have enough light and warmth in the room. The self-proclaimed Awesome One turned and passed the couch that Nick was still sleeping on as he made his way toward the other man.

"What... what the hell was that upstairs?" he asked quietly.

Phil briefly glanced up from the magazine he was tearing a couple more pages out of, looking away again to feed them to the fire before setting the magazine itself back on the mantle. "I don't know," he answered honestly. "I–!"

"That... that _thing _was hurting Eve!" Mike continued, his voice rising slightly as he interrupted the Straight Edge Superstar. "Who knows? It could have _killed_ her, man!"

The dark-haired man sighed as he turned to completely face his friend. "I know that," he replied calmly. "But it didn't, so–!"

"But it _could_ have!" Mike snapped. He paused, passing a hand over his face as he lowered his gaze. "Sorry, man."

"You're worried about your girlfriend. It's understandable," Phil muttered as he sat down on the arm of the couch away from Nick's head so he wouldn't wake the Show-Off. "I don't know what the hell that thing was, but..."

His sentence trailed off when Eve started to shift restlessly in her sleep, and Mike reached out and took her hand in his before he started to brush his fingers through her hair with his other. "But there has to be an explanation for it," the Straight Edge Superstar finished once the Latina was resting a bit more peacefully again.

"Like what?" Mike demanded, his voice rising a bit again as he turned to face the tattooed man. "People don't just disappear when you throw something at them, Phil!"

Phil sighed, running a hand through his loose, dark hair as he turned to look at the fireplace. "It was dark in that hall upstairs," he reminded him, his eyes glued to the flickering flames. "Maybe we weren't seeing things clearly. Maybe there wasn't even anyone there..."

"Bullshit!" Mike stormed across the room and came to a stop in front of Phil. "You saw that thing, I _know _you did!"

"And what do you want _me _to do about it?" Phil wondered with frustration as he turned to face him again. "I know as much as you do, Mike!"

A long moment of silence passed between the two men before Mike passed a hand over his face. "We need to get out of here."

"No." Phil shook his head. "We can't go out in that storm, not without a car."

"Well we can't stay in _here _either!" Mike countered, his voice rising slightly. "Not with whatever that was running around. It'll kill us, man!"

Phil crossed his arms as he leaned back against the couch. "If we stay together close to the light, we'll be okay," he said. "I haven't seen this thing around this part of the house, so we should be fine here. We only have a few hours left before sunrise, and hopefully the rain lets up before then. Oh, and keep your voice down, you don't want to wake them." He gestured to the sleeping Eve and Nick.

Mike rolled his eyes before he glanced down at his girlfriend as well, but then he turned back to the Straight Edge Superstar. "Where's April?" he asked a bit more quietly.

Cursing under his breath, Phil rubbed his hazel eyes before he glanced at the wooden staircase that led up to the dark second story. "She hasn't come out of the room she was using since she left the bathroom," he answered. "I'll try to talk to her. I think it'd be a good idea for us all to be down here."

"Good idea, man. I'll be here with these two."

Nodding slightly, Phil turned and slowly made his way up the creaking wooden steps to the second floor. He kept one hand on the wall as he made his way down the dark hallway, passing the bathroom where they had seen the mysterious figure. He didn't even glance at the room, wanting to forget about what they had supposedly seen. His mind wouldn't allow him to consider anything other than some sort of logical reason, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't figure out any explanation for what could have happened to Eve.

Soon, the dark-haired man reached the room that April had claimed for the night, finding that the door was open slightly. He took a step closer, hearing a quiet humming sound coming from inside.

"April?" Phil reached out and quietly pushed open the door a bit further, seeing in the thin traces of moonlight filtering through the rolling storm clouds that April was sitting on the bed, her legs held close to her chest. "Hey, you okay?"

Startled, the new diva quickly looked up as a low rumble of thunder echoed in the night outside, but she settled down when she saw the tattooed man. "Oh, uh... Yeah, Phil, I'm fine," she muttered.

Sighing quietly, Phil walked into the room, looking around at the dark and dusty walls. "Just curious, but what's that song that you're always humming?" he wondered as he approached the bed.

April smiled slightly as she scooted over a little, allowing some room for him. "It's just a song that my grandmother always used to sing to us before she died a couple years ago," she explained as Phil sat down on the edge of the bed beside her. "She came to New Jersey from Puerto Rico to visit some family when she was pregnant with my oldest aunt. She got sick on the boat trip over, and she vowed to never get on another boat again."

She chuckled quietly while Phil smiled. "That song is one she knew since she was a little girl. It's a lullaby. I spent a lot of time with her growing up. My parents..." She paused for a moment with a near silent sigh. "My parents both lost their jobs when I was about eight. We weren't the best off to begin with, but... I lived in a car and a few motel rooms before my grandmother took me in until my parents could find a way to support us. She would sing that song to me and my cousin, who's older than I am and was also living with her at the time, every night. It was comforting to me. That's why I still sing it, especially now. It makes me feel a little more at ease in this place." Her gaze faltered slightly.

Phil nodded. "Yeah, I understand that," he muttered. "My home situation wasn't the best growing up either. I'm sorry about your grandmother, April. And your parents. But look at you now. You're starting off in the WWE. I think they'd be very proud of you."

April looked away as a small smile appeared on her face, but then she looked around the room with confusion when a near-silent sound reached her ears. "Did you hear that?" she asked.

The Straight Edge Superstar arched an eyebrow as he listened for what she had heard. "Hear what?"

"Hold on." April's gaze continued to move around the room, holding up a hand when she heard what almost sounded like a whispered voice again. "That!"

Phil shrugged slightly. He had heard the quiet sound, but his mind refused to think it was anything out of the ordinary. "It was probably the wind..." he began, but he stopped when April shook her head.

"No. It's coming from in here." The brunette stood from the bed and slowly walked to the middle of the room, looking around intently. Her eyes then landed on the closet near the window, and she hurried over and pulled open the door. She couldn't see much with how dark it was, but when a quick flash of lightning lit up the small space, her eyes widened as she gasped quietly and took a couple steps back.

"What's wrong?" Phil wondered, slowly rising from the bed himself and crossing the room to her.

April didn't answer as she instead stepped forward into the closet and bent over to pick up something. Phil leaned around her to see what it was that she had grabbed, and his eyes narrowed slightly when she straightened up again with an old porcelain doll in her hands. The lace and floral print patterned white dress she wore was tattered and faded, the matching bonnet on her head frayed and torn in a couple places. Her once curly brown hair had thinned considerably and had lost most of its bounciness and vibrant color.

But it was her face that disturbed him the most. The colorful makeup that had once accented her features had faded, the blush in her cheeks greatly dimmed and the lipstick on her round lips mostly chipped away. A thin crack ran along the bridge of her nose and down her left cheek, and she only looked back at him with one brown eye since the right one was missing.

"That's pretty creepy," Phil muttered, looking away from the doll.

April, however, didn't seem to hear him as she lightly traced a finger along the crack in her face before winding it in a thin strand of her hair. "It's crazy," she said thoughtfully. "I used to have a doll kind of like this, but she had a different dress. My grandmother was a big doll collector, and she had many like this. Quite a few she had were from her time growing up in Puerto Rico. The one she gave me got lost in the shuffle when I was preparing to be a diva, but yeah. This one reminds me of her in a way. It just kinda creeps me out too."

Phil nodded slightly. "Personally, there's always been something about dolls that I haven't liked," he replied, his gaze warily passing over her one eye again. "It might just be that empty stare they all have, but I'm not exactly sure."

"I was never much of a doll girl." April chuckled quietly. "I only had the one that my grandmother gave me because it was special. It had a lot of meaning to me. I don't know why this one would be left behind."

The young diva then turned around, startled when her face came to a stop a couple of inches in front of Phil's scruff-lined one since he had bent over slightly to look at what she had found. They stared at each other for a long moment before she gave him a nervous smile, sighing quietly when the Straight Edge Superstar backed away a little.

"Sorry about that."

"No, that was me, girl," Phil countered with a slight shrug. "Don't worry."

April nodded slightly as she glanced down at the doll she still held. Phil slid his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants, but before he could say anything more about it, they both quickly looked toward the door when they faintly heard a quiet, pained sound from downstairs.

* * *

"Logical explanation, he says... My ass. There's no logical explanation for that... that thing... whatever it was..."

Mike sighed with frustration as he continued to pace the lit living room, passing a hand over his face. He paused and glanced out the window, relieved to see that the rain seemed to have lessened slightly, before he started to restlessly move in front of the fireplace again. "We have to get out of here... Dunno what that thing is..."

"Dude, do you _always _talk to yourself like this?"

The self-proclaimed Awesome One stopped once more and turned to look at the couch where the sudden question had come from to see that Nick was awake and looking at him with slight irritation. "Sometimes," he said, crossing his arms. When the Show-Off arched an eyebrow, he rolled his eyes. "Okay, most of the time. It helps me calm down if I'm stressed out."

A smirk appeared on Nick's face. "You sure that you don't just like to hear yourself talk, man?" he wondered.

"Oh, shut up."

Nick chuckled as he sat up slightly, putting his hand to his head. "What are you even talking about anyway?" he asked.

Mike just shook his head slightly. "Never mind," he answered. "You probably wouldn't even believe me."

"Uh, suit yourself, I guess." Nick watched as the other man left the living room and disappeared into the dark kitchen, turning his gaze to the fireplace in front of him. He sighed, his eyes starting to droop a little as he watched the flames flicker before he shook his head slightly and noticed with surprise that Eve was sitting asleep on the armchair that Phil had previously occupied.

What had happened while he had been asleep?

In the kitchen, Mike leaned on the hard counter, closing his eyes with a quiet groan. This house was driving him insane. Like Phil, he had never really been one to believe in anything out of the ordinary. Though unlike his friend, he had always believed that the possibility was there. He had heard many stories of ghosts or poltergeists that the teller had always claimed to be true, but since he had never seen anything like that for himself, he had always just brushed them aside.

But now that he had seen _something _that he could think of no word for other than "ghost," he was starting to question his disbelief of them. He couldn't think of anything else it could be. And that fact in itself made him uneasy.

There was a low rumble of thunder far off in the distance, and Mike opened his eyes and glanced up when the small chandelier above the long, rectangular table _jingled _quietly. "It was just the wind," he muttered to himself, setting his face in his hand. "That's it. Phil's right. It was dark upstairs. We could have just been seeing things. Nothing's in this house with us..."

But then, he sighed quietly when a quiet ringing began deep in his ears, and he lifted one hand to the side of his head. "And it's much too quiet in here."

However, the ringing didn't stop like it usually would. It kept getting louder. Letting out a quiet frustrated sound that he could barely hear, the self-proclaimed Awesome One started to lightly press on his ears when the annoying noise only continued to increase. "What the hell..." Though no matter what he did, the noise didn't stop.

Starting to get a little worried, Mike pushed away from the counter as the ringing kept growing louder. He doubled over, his hands at his head, and shut his eyes tightly when it got to the point where it was almost deafening. He thought he heard a pained noise escape from his throat, but he wasn't sure since he could hardly hear it over the ringing. Mike slowly dropped down to one knee on the hard floor and leaned back against the counter, gritting his teeth when the sound persisted.

Then, he carefully opened his eyes when he thought he heard Nick's voice float into the kitchen, but it sounded so distant and distorted compared to the ringing that was increasing in his ears. "...Mike... you... okay...?"

But he didn't have a chance to say anything in response when he winced as the sound came back with one last forceful vengeance before it stopped completely. Mike took a few deep breaths, relieved that the ringing had finally faded. He looked around the dark kitchen, but then his eyes narrowed slightly when he saw that the small chandelier hanging above the table was still swaying, but he couldn't hear the quiet _jingle_ of the dangling crystals. He quickly looked at the window when he saw the room briefly light up because of a small flicker of lightning, noticing that a thin branch from a tree in the backyard was hitting the window because of the wind, but he couldn't hear the _tap_ it made against the pane.

"N–Nick?" Mike was barely able to stutter out, or so he thought. He felt his lips make the motion of his friend's name, but he couldn't hear his own voice.

He couldn't hear anything.

* * *

"Hey, Mike, are you okay, man?" Nick called out from where he was still sitting on the couch. His friend had only been in the kitchen for about five minutes before he thought he heard him make some kind of pained sound. "Mike?" But he didn't get an answer.

With a quiet sigh, the blond-haired man pushed himself to his feet, pausing for a moment when he felt slightly dizzy. Once the feeling passed, he shook his head slightly and slowly began to make his way across the room to get to the kitchen. But before he could open the door, he glanced over his shoulder when he heard quiet shuffling behind him and saw that Eve was waking up and looking around her with confusion.

"Hey there, sleepyhead," he muttered with a small smile.

Eve looked back at him for a moment before she returned the look. "Speak for yourself," she replied just as quietly.

Nick gave her a look of mock hurt. "Hey, that's not cool," he said. "I have an excuse."

The Latina just laughed a little as she rubbed her tired eyes. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"My head's still a bit sore, but other than that, I'm okay," Nick answered with a slight shrug. "Really can't complain too much considering what happened, I suppose."

"That's good, especially considering that we really have nothing we can do with this weather." Eve's tone was thoughtful as her gaze moved to the window behind her.

"Yeah, but the storm's finally starting to let up a bit," Nick told her. "At least it's pretty much passed over. Just seems to be rain for the most part now."

Eve's smile returned as she turned back to the Show-Off. "Hopefully we'll be able to get out of here soon, huh?"

Nick nodded in agreement. "Hopefully. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about this place that just... I don't know, that just seems wrong."

The diva's smile vanished completely when she suddenly thought about the incident that happened upstairs in the bathroom, and she lightly touched the area around her eyes. At least they weren't burning anymore. "Yeah, I know what you mean," she said in nearly a whisper.

The blond-haired man's eyes narrowed slightly, but before he could say anything in response, he glanced back at the door when he thought he heard Mike's quiet voice from the kitchen. "N–Nick?"

"I'll be right back, Eve." Nick turned and stepped into the kitchen, lingering by the door as he looked around the dark room. "Mike? Where are you, man?"

But he didn't get an answer.

Starting to feel a bit worried, Nick slowly walked further into the dark room, squinting slightly as he looked around for the other man. "Mike?"

Finally the Show-Off sighed as he came to a stop when he noticed him sitting back against the counter, his shoulders shaking slightly. "Hey, Mike, what's up, man?" Nick asked as he walked over to the self-proclaimed Awesome One. When he didn't get an answer, he reached out and set his hand on his shoulder. "Mi–!"

However, he was startled when the other man lashed out at him and shoved his arm away. "Dude, what the hell was that for?"

But Mike simply stared back at him with wide eyes, and Nick's brow furrowed slightly when he saw the clear fear on his face. "What's wrong, man?"

Suddenly, Nick was startled to feel a strong force grab his shoulders and toss him roughly aside, and he winced when he crashed into one of the chairs at the table. He quickly looked up, and his eyes widened with both fear and confusion when he saw a tall, broad-shouldered man with a hood concealing his features was standing before Mike. The other man tried to back up away from the figure, but with the counter behind him, he had nowhere to go.

Then, before either of them could do anything, the strange man reached forward and clamped his larger gloved hand on Mike's forehead.

* * *

Phil hurried down the creaking steps with April close behind him, feeling her thin fingers grasp his tattooed arm when he came to a stop at the bottom and looked quickly around the living room. Eve was standing near the brightly lit fireplace, glancing nervously in the direction of the kitchen.

"What's happening?"

Eve sighed as she shook her head slightly. "I don't know," she muttered. "I woke up a few minutes ago, and Nick went into the kitchen. Not sure what for..."

Phil's gaze passed over the vacant couch that the Show-Off had spent most of the night on before quickly moving back to the Latina. "Where's Mike?" he asked.

The diva's eyes flickered nervously as she turned back to him. "I thought he was with you," she answered quietly.

Before the Straight Edge Superstar could say anything in response, a loud _crash_ came from the kitchen. "Nick?" Eve called out, but there was no reply.

"Both of you stay here," Phil told them. He glanced at April, who slowly released her hold on his arm, before he hurried forward and pushed open the door of the kitchen as he stepped inside. He could hardly see anything in the darkness of the room, but his eyes almost immediately landed on Nick lying on the hard floor near the long, rectangular table.

"Are you okay?" the dark-haired man asked as he crouched beside him.

Nick, however, didn't answer as he instead pointed to something behind the other man with clear fear on his face. His eyes narrowing, Phil quickly turned to look over his shoulder, and he felt his stomach fall when he saw the tall, broad-shouldered man with the hood covering his face had returned, his large hand wrapped around Mike's head keeping the self-proclaimed Awesome One trapped against the counter.

Suddenly, a pained, fearful scream escaped from their friend.

* * *

Mike kept his eyes shut tightly as he reached out in attempt to grab the mysterious figure's arm and pull it away since the pressure from his hand was only continuing to build and the counter behind his head was starting to hurt. However, though his fingers grasped _something_, it didn't feel like a solid human arm, and it felt as though he could never get a secure hold on it.

But then, the pressure in his head dramatically increased as though a thick, iron bar had clamped tightly around it, and Mike felt his mouth open as a scream that he couldn't hear ripped from his throat. The pain was unbearable as the pressure continued, and his panic rose when he thought he felt something start to slowly trickle out of his right ear.

* * *

Phil's eyes widened slightly in fear as his friend continued to scream, not sure what this thing was doing to Mike. He remembered how the hooded man had also attacked Eve in a similar fashion by targeting her worst fear and inwardly shuddered. He knew that the one thing the self-proclaimed Awesome One couldn't handle was complete silence since if he wasn't talking to anyone, he was usually connected to his music player, which was how he had been even when they had been on the road together when they were younger along with the four other members of their travel crew at the time. He couldn't even imagine what was being done to him.

Then, the tattooed man was alarmed to see a thin trail of what looked eerily like blood leak out of Mike's ear. Thinking quickly, he grabbed the chair that Nick had somehow knocked over and got to his feet, swinging it as hard as he could at the unknown figure.

But just like last time, the hooded man only glanced back at him as he approached, and as soon as the chair came in contact with him, he dissolved into the darkness, causing the chair to forcefully hit the counter and splinter on impact.

Mike jumped at the sudden vibrations that rippled through the counter, but then, he realized what had really startled him was the loud _bang_ that the chair had made when it connected. "Wait... I... I heard that..." he said in a voice hardly above a whisper, and for the first time since the ringing had began, he could hear his own quiet voice.

Sighing, Phil set the chair down carefully before he crouched next to the other man, watching for a moment as he tried to catch his breath. He had been right. Whatever the thing in the house was, it had targeted his worst fear as well. "Are you okay?" he asked, reaching out and setting his hand on his friend's arm.

Another moment passed before Mike glanced up at him, a ghost of a smile on his pale face. "Never thought I'd be so relieved to hear you, Brooks," he answered quietly, chuckling a little as a thin line of tears formed in his eyes.

Phil smiled in return, but the look waned when the other man's eyes closed as he leaned back against the counter. He tightened his hand on the self-proclaimed Awesome One's arm before he glanced up when Nick approached, his hand resting on his back. "Would you mind grabbing a water bottle or something?" he wondered.

"Yeah, no problem, man." Nick looked at where Mike was still breathing heavily with concern before he slowly made his way toward the door, pulling it open and stepping back into the living room.

The door didn't even have a chance to close completely before it opened again, and April and Eve came into the dark room. "Mike!" The latter hurried forward and knelt down on her boyfriend's other side across from Phil, setting her hand on his sweat-coated cheek. Her gaze passed over the thin trail of blood on the side of his face with worry before she met his weary blue eyes. "Oh, my God, are you okay? What happened?"

Mike attempted to give her a convincing smile as he took her other hand in his. "I will be," he told her. "Don't worry, Eve."

The Latina gave him her best scowl, but it didn't linger long before a relieved smile replaced it as she kissed his forehead and wrapped her arms around him carefully, holding his head against her chest in a protective manner.

Phil watched the couple for a moment before he slowly rose to his feet, lifting his hand from the other man's arm as he turned away from them. His hazel gaze landed on April, who was lingering nervously by the door, and he sighed as he warily passed a hand over his face.

Despite how his mind struggled to find some sort of logical explanation for what they had seen while they had been in the house, it was something he found he could no longer do. In truth, he knew he had no idea what they were up against, and if they wanted to find a way to survive to see the morning, they had to think of some course of action soon.

The only problem was, he had no idea what that course of action could be.

**Author's Note**: So, that's that! Things will continue to get stranger as we go, so there's a lot to look forward to. Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thanks :)


	5. Part V: Splinter

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE! I also don't own the song "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." That belongs to whoever wrote it, lol.

**Summary**: A ghost story. Sent off course on a stormy night, five superstars are stranded together in an old house. But they're not alone. Something is haunting them, and they have to find a way to combat their deepest, darkest fears in order to survive the night.

**Author's Note**: Hey! Thank you for all the reviews for this story. I'm really glad that you guys are loving it so much! So, some strange things are happening, and they'll only get stranger as we continue. With that said, enjoy!

_Part V– Splinter_

"I'm not staying in this house any longer."

Phil sighed, passing a hand through his dark hair as he climbed the creaking steps up to the second floor after the other man. "Mike–!"

"No, man!" Mike paused on the dark landing and quickly turned around to face the Straight Edge Superstar. "There is _no _way in hell that I'm going to spend another minute here with that... that... _thing_!"

The tattooed man watched as the self-proclaimed Awesome One stormed down the narrow hallway toward the room that he and his girlfriend had been using before the first attack for a minute before he started to follow him again. "So you're just gonna go out in the storm and _hope_ that someone's gonna pass by or that you'll by some lucky chance find the city?"

Mike disappeared into the room for a moment before he stepped out carrying both his and Eve's bags, an intense look on his face. "It's better than waiting in here to be killed by whatever the hell is after us," he muttered. "And you're a damn idiot if you think any differently." He then pushed past Phil a bit roughly and made his way back down the stairs. The dark-haired man lingered on the landing for a moment, closing his eyes as he slowly passed a hand over his face before he started down the staircase as well.

When Phil reached the living room, he saw that Mike was slipping his still damp shoes on while Eve, who had changed back into her drying jeans and lightweight sweatshirt, waited for him near the door. Nick and April were sitting on the couch, watching them warily.

"Guys, I think it would be better for us all to stay together around the fire..." the Show-Off began, but his sentence trailed off when Phil shook his head and leaned on the back of the couch.

"Don't bother. Just let 'em go, Nick," he said, his hazel gaze traveling to the couple. "If they think they can get into the city by morning, then more power to 'em."

Mike looked back at the Straight Edge Superstar. "You should just come with us, man," he suggested.

However, Phil just crossed his arms. "It'll be dangerous out there too," he countered. "The weather will make difficult driving conditions, so if you walk along the road, just be careful."

A brief flicker of lightning momentarily brightened up the living room, and a low rumble of thunder echoed quietly in the night as Mike sighed. "Yeah," he muttered, handing Eve her bag. "But if that thing gets you, don't come crying to us."

Phil rolled his eyes as Nick sighed and April looked away, only able to watch as the self-proclaimed Awesome One pulled open the front door and held it open for Eve to step out onto the porch first. The Latina glanced back at her other three friends, her gaze faltering. "See you in Jersey," she said quietly before she stepped outside, Mike following after her as he shut the door forcefully behind him.

* * *

_A childish laugh echoed through the freshly carpeted narrow hallway._

_Phil turned toward the staircase behind him when he heard light footsteps running up them, but he was confused to hear that the steps themselves weren't creaking. A small girl with curly brown hair appeared on the lit landing, a smile on her face as she held a porcelain doll with a light pink dress and bonnet close to her in her thin arms._

_"Hey..." Phil muttered, taking a small step toward her._

_However, the girl didn't even seem to see him as she ran right past him, the sound of her light, cheerful laughter lingering in his ears._

_Phil turned in time to see her disappear into one of the rooms on the left, and he followed her before coming to a stop in the doorway. He recognized the layout of the room, for it was one he had recently been in. The girl was sitting on the bed, the doll with curly brown hair propped up against the pillows in front of her, and she smiled as she held up a white lace and floral print dress and bonnet for her to see._

_"Look what I got for you at the store today," she said excitedly. "Isn't it pretty?"_

_The doll had no answer to give and only stared back at her with empty brown eyes and no expression on her colorfully made-up face._

_Phil turned away from the room as the girl started to sing cheerfully to herself as she began to change the doll's dress._

_"Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are..."_

_Sighing quietly, the dark-haired man started to make his way toward the stairs to go back down to the living room._

_"Up above the world so bright, like a diamond in the sky..."_

_But then, Phil slowed to a stop when he heard a heavier set of footsteps coming up the stairs, and he watched as an older dark-haired boy who appeared to be in his early teens appeared on the landing, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his hooded sweatshirt. He also walked straight past him as though he didn't see him, and Phil watched as he headed straight toward the little girl's room._

_"Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder–!"_

_Phil's eyes narrowed slightly when her song ended in a sudden scream, and he ran as quickly as he could back to the open door. "No, leave her alone!" he heard the girl shout, and he stopped in the doorway in time to see the teenager had grabbed the doll she had just changed clothes for roughly by the foot and was trying to pull her away from the girl. She put up a fight for a short time, but she just wasn't strong enough as the doll was finally yanked from her small hands._

_However, the force of her releasing it caused the older boy to stumble back a little as he nearly dropped the doll when her head hit the side of the girl's desk, the impact enough to create a thin crack along the bridge of her nose and down her left cheek._

* * *

Phil jumped slightly as his eyes snapped open, attempting to adjust to the dim lighting of the room. His body was covered in a cold sweat, and he raised a slightly trembling hand and slowly passed it over his face as he closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

He didn't even remember falling asleep in the chair by the window, but what disturbed him even more was the dream that had woken him. Usually when he had his occasional couple hour stretches of sleep, he didn't dream. But the more he thought about it, he had never had a dream like that before. It had seemed so vivid...

Running a hand through his dark hair, Phil slowly pushed himself to his feet, still feeling slightly shaky. He quietly walked past the couch where April and Nick were each sleeping on one end of it so he wouldn't wake them and stepped over the smaller amount of drying clothing to get to the fireplace. He absently added a few magazine and newspaper pages to the waning flames to make sure they would be sustained before glancing back at his two friends, glad to see he hadn't disturbed them. The Straight Edge Superstar then approached the couch as quietly as he could and carefully pulled his nearly dry sweatshirt that April had been using as a makeshift blanket back over her shoulder since it had fallen slightly before he crossed the living room, quietly pushing open the front door and stepping out onto the porch.

The cold wind rushed at him as Phil leaned on the wooden railing and looked out at the vast, gently sloping lawn that stretched out before him, watching as the rain continued to pour. He had to admit it felt good. His weary gaze passed over the couple of bare trees that loomed nearer to the road, sighing quietly when he remembered the mysterious dog that had chased him and Mike when they had come back to the house after getting their bags from the crashed rental car.

Logic was failing him. Phil rested his head in his hand and closed his eyes. Ever since they had arrived at the abandoned house, he had been struggling to find some sort of reasonable explanation for what had been happening to them, but he could no longer do so. He couldn't explain why the dog had disappeared after it had chased him and Mike for a short distance. He couldn't explain why a man was appearing and disappearing around the house, or how he was attacking them with what they feared the most. He didn't know what he could do to stop whatever it was, and with every minute he spent in the house, he felt as though he was losing more and more control of the situation.

And that thought unnerved him more than he cared to admit.

"You should come back inside, man. You're gonna catch your death out in this weather with your tank top."

Phil smirked and arched an eyebrow as he glanced over his shoulder, chuckling quietly when he saw Nick. "I just needed some air," he muttered, looking back out at the pouring rain. "Besides, at least I'm not wearing a t-shirt and shorts."

Nick nodded slightly as he slowly walked forward to stand next to the other man. "Yeah, well, I'm not going to be out here long," he replied, leaning on the wooden railing as well. A moment passed before he sighed. "Y'know, I'm starting to think that this place might really be haunted."

However, when he got no response from the Straight Edge Superstar, the Show-Off worried his bottom lip between his teeth and lowered his gaze. In truth, he had brought up his last statement because he had hoped his friend, who had been the voice of reason ever since they had arrived, would refute it in some way. His lack of answer concerned him.

"Do... do you think that thing is like some sort of ghost or something?" Nick ventured to ask.

Phil glanced over at him and shrugged slightly. "Honestly, I really don't know what to call it," he answered. "I mean, I guess it could be... There really isn't any other explanation for it."

"I was afraid you were gonna say that." Nick looked back out at the dark lawn as well, and he brushed some loose strands of his light hair out of his face. "What really worries me is that thing knows all about us, man. Like with Eve and her fear of the dark and Mike and his fear of silence... It's scary, dude. Like how does it know that? What's it gonna do to _us_?"

"It's not gonna do anything to us," Phil told him, and though his tone was quiet, it was also confident.

Nick's gaze faltered slightly before he looked at the Straight Edge Superstar. "It's just that with what freaks me out the most..." His sentence trailed off with another sigh. But then, he raised his eyes to the other man curiously. "Y'know, I don't think I know what _your_ biggest fear is."

A moment passed before Phil met his gaze and gave him a slight, innocent shrug. "It's never come up in conversation," he said casually.

"Well, what is it that you're most afraid of?" Nick wondered. "I mean, you know my biggest fear. If we knew, then maybe we could do something to fight this thing, and–!"

"It's not a big deal, Nick," Phil interrupted, his tone more forceful. "That thing's not gonna get to us anyway, so I don't see why we have to talk about what could possibly scare me, okay?"

The Show-Off gazed at the tattooed man for a moment longer before he nodded slightly and looked away, taking a deep breath. "Fair enough." When Phil didn't say anything in response, he chuckled quietly and looked out at the steady downpour. "So, you know Ryan. When we were growing up, he was like obsessed with ghosts and supernatural stuff. He'd read everything he could about them."

"Yeah?" Phil arched an eyebrow and looked at Nick. He couldn't say he was too surprised to learn this information about the younger Nemeth brother.

Nick nodded as he smiled in return. "Yeah. He used to know everything about them," he continued. "Like about how they could haunt places or even people tied to things that happened during their lives, how some don't even know they're dead, how they can seek revenge, how they can share their memories with the living..."

"Share their memories?" Phil repeated, glancing at his friend incredulously.

"Yep." Nick shrugged slightly. "I don't really remember too much about that. But from what he would tell me, if a ghost like wants them to, a living person can see what they have seen, so to speak. It's like ghost ESP or something, I don't know..." His sentence trailed off as he looked back at the Straight Edge Superstar, and his eyes narrowed slightly in confusion when he saw the thoughtful look on his face. "Why do you ask?"

However, the look disappeared as Phil shook his head slightly. "It just seems kinda ridiculous, doesn't it?" he said. "I mean a ghost, if that's what this thing is, being able to share memories with one of us? That just doesn't sound possible."

Nick slowly nodded, though he was slightly relieved to hear that the other man was starting to sound more like himself again. "Yeah, definitely ridiculous," he agreed. "I mean, that's what these supposed _experts _on this kinda stuff say. I didn't believe half of the shit Ryan told me. Still don't, even with what we're supposedly seeing now."

"I don't blame you," Phil replied. "A lot of it seems way too far-fetched."

"You got that right," Nick muttered. But then, his confident gaze faltered. "Though... a lot of what's happened to us tonight could be considered far-fetched as well..."

Sighing, Phil started to turn away from the railing. "I really don't want to talk about this right now, Nick..." he started, but then he paused and cursed under his breath as he looked down at his right hand.

Nick glanced at him curiously. "What's up, man?"

The dark-haired man rolled his eyes. "Splinter," he told him, looking at the left side of his palm in annoyance. "Pretty big one too..."

The Show-Off chuckled quietly. "Well, let's see if, by some off chance, this house has some sewing needles still lying around," he said. "I'll try to get it out for ya."

Phil arched an eyebrow. "Have you ever tried to remove a splinter that way before?" he asked.

Nick smirked. "Don't worry, I used to do it for Ryan all the time," he answered confidently. "He hasn't lost any important appendages."

Phil returned the look. "Okay, then. I suppose I can trust you. We'll just have to pick a place to start looking."

"Don't worry. You _can_ trust me." Nick's gaze flickered somewhat nervously as he looked up at the dark house, but then he chuckled quietly. "Let's just get that damn splinter out. In a house that still has a Bible and some matches in it, you would think sewing needles wouldn't be too hard to find."

* * *

"If you need to stop for a couple minutes, that's okay."

Mike sighed as he glanced at his girlfriend. Ever since they had splintered off from the rest of the group and had gotten away from the house, the two of them had walked along the side of the road in hopes that someone would pass by or that it would be easier to reach some sort of civilization. But the self-proclaimed Awesome One realized that Phil had been right in saying that driving conditions were bad that night because of the continuous downpour, and he had reluctantly opted for the more scenic path near the road, which unfortunately nearly wasn't as straightforward.

"I'm fine, babe," he told her with a slight smile, squeezing her hand lightly. "If we keep walking, we'll get to the city sooner."

Eve sighed quietly to herself, glancing down at Mike's knee and seeing the noticeable limp that he was now walking with. It couldn't have been easy on him after he had jammed it in the crash. "Let's just stop for a little bit," she tried again, slowing her pace slightly as she grabbed his arm with her other hand. "I-I'm getting tired."

Mike slowed to a stop and looked back at her, noticing that the Latina was starting to shiver. Sighing as well, he pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him in attempt to stop her slight shaking. "All right," he muttered. "We'll stop for a little bit."

In truth, Mike was relieved to have the chance to rest for a few minutes as he found a good-sized rock to sit on and gently pulled Eve down to sit on his lap away from his injured knee. It was starting to throb from all the use, and since he didn't know the extent of the damage that it had sustained, staying off of it for a short time would do him some good. He looked at the steady rain that was falling around them, glancing up toward the dark sky when he heard a low rumble of thunder, and he tightened his arm around his girlfriend as he made sure the hood of her light sweatshirt was completely covering her head.

Eve met his gaze and attempted to give him a small smile as she continued to shiver, cold from the dampness of the air and the rain. "D-do you th-think we made the ri-right choice leaving t-the house?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," Mike answered without any hesitation. "I'd rather get to the city tonight than chance staying there with that thing. It almost killed us, Eve."

"I know." The diva sighed as she rested her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. "It's just th-that I'd feel be-better if we had a car. We'll ge-get sick or fre-freeze out here..."

Mike wrapped both arms around her and held her close, starting to shiver slightly as well. "We can't be too far away," he tried to reason, mainly with himself. "Remember before we crashed? We were almost there..."

"Were we?" Eve looked up at Mike as she wrapped her arms around him as well, trying to warm him up a little as well as herself. "W-we don't know that f-for sure. We couldn't t-tell when the storm h-hit... Mike, p-please, this is c-crazy. Let's just go b-back..."

"No!" Mike's ferocity with the one short word startled even himself. Noticing the surprised look on the Latina's face, he sighed as he rested his hand on her cheek, feeling that it was slightly cold to the touch. "Eve, I can't bring you back there, not with that thing running around. I can't put you in danger. Don't you see that? I refuse to let something happen to you."

A moment passed before Eve looked at him again. "W-what if something happens to u-us out here?" she asked quietly. "What if w-we don't even m-make it to the city?"

Mike's gaze faltered slightly before he brought her close to him again, hoping that the action would bring her some warmth. "I'm not going to let anything happen to us," he answered just as quietly, kissing the side of her head. "We'll be just fine. I promise."

* * *

April's eyes snapped open as she jumped slightly, the sound of a childish laugh lingering in her ears. She rubbed her eyes as she sat up on the couch a little, keeping the sweatshirt that Phil had let her borrow for a makeshift blanket up around her shoulders as she sleepily looked around the living room.

But she was startled to see that the Straight Edge Superstar and the Show-Off were nowhere in sight.

Feeling slightly nervous, April set the red sweatshirt aside before she stood from the couch, stretching slightly as she wondered where they could have gone. She slowly started to make her way toward the wooden staircase near the door, but she paused and looked in the direction of the kitchen when she heard noises coming from the other room.

"They wouldn't be so hard to find, huh?"

"Shut up."

Smiling slightly when she heard the voices and quiet laughter of her two friends, April quickly crossed the living room and pushed open the door that led into the kitchen, noticing in the minimal lighting that Phil and Nick were looking in all of the drawers and cabinets. "What are you guys looking for?" she asked.

The two men paused and looked toward the door. Nick smirked when he saw her. "Phil got a splinter," he answered. "It's a doozy!"

The dark-haired man rolled his eyes before turning his hazel gaze back to April. "Sorry if we woke you," he added.

"Oh, no, you didn't," April assured them as she walked further into the kitchen and approached the Straight Edge Superstar. "Here, let me see this doozy of a splinter."

Phil sent a half-hearted glare Nick's way before he chuckled quietly and held his right hand out to the new diva. April met his gaze for a moment before she cautiously took it in her smaller ones, running her thin finger carefully over his lightly calloused skin in attempt to find it. Nick smiled slightly as he watched them, how nervous the young woman was not escaping his notice.

Then, the tattooed man jerked his hand back slightly when the left side of his palm suddenly stung a bit when April's finger came in contact with the splinter. "Sorry," she muttered, hesitantly meeting his gaze.

However, Phil just smiled. "It's okay," he told her, allowing her to pull his hand closer again. "It just startled me, that's all."

April smiled weakly before she squinted slightly in attempt to see his palm better in the minimal lighting. "Ah, yeah, I see it," she said, lightly tracing her finger over his skin above the splinter. "That's in there pretty good. We'll need like a sewing needle or something to get that out."

"And that's exactly what we're looking for," Nick spoke up from where he was leaning on the long, rectangular table. "You would think in a house where most the shit's been left behind, we could find some sewing needles."

"Well, maybe you're looking in the wrong place," April suggested, letting go of Phil's hand as she looked over at the Show-Off. "They'd probably be in one of the bedrooms upstairs. When I lived with my grandmother, she kept all her sewing stuff in her room."

"So did my mom," Nick agreed with a slight nod.

April smiled slightly before she turned back to other man. "Our best bet would probably be upstairs."

"Look, I don't need to get this splinter out," Phil muttered. "We're not gonna be here that much longer anyway."

"Nonsense, Phil," April continued. "That's gonna get painful after a while, so it'd be best to get it out. Now, the room I was staying in kinda looked like it had belonged to a younger girl at some point, so I don't think they'd be there. That leaves the room Mike and Eve were using, and the bedroom no one's gone into."

"If we split up, we can get back down here sooner..." Nick began, but his sentence trailed off when Phil shook his head.

"No, I'd feel better if we stayed together," the dark-haired man muttered. "It's only two rooms. If we have to do this, it won't take too long to look."

Nick shrugged slightly. "All righty, then," he said. "Lead the way, _mon capitaine_."

Rolling his eyes, Phil took a quiet but deep breath as he crossed the dark room and pulled open the door, stepping into the living room while April and Nick followed. Without a moment's hesitation, he started to make his way up the creaking staircase, briefly glancing behind him when he felt the new diva's thin fingers wrap around his arm to see that she had reached back and grabbed hold of Nick's hand as well as her eyes lingered on the dark landing above them nervously. Sighing, the Straight Edge Superstar continued up the steps until he reached the top, and with his two friends close with him, he started to lead the way down the narrow hallway.

They passed by the room April had been staying in without a second glance before they stopped in front of the door of the room near the end of the hall that Mike and Eve had stayed in before her attack. Phil reached out and grasped the handle before he pushed it open, quickly scanning the interior. Like the room April had been using, it was nearly empty save for a bed and a desk under the window. He lightly pulled his arm out from under the diva's grasp as he slowly entered the room, Nick and April following along behind as they looked around warily. The tattooed man walked over to the closet and pulled open the door, squinting slightly to try to see in the minimal lighting.

Then, he quickly took a couple steps back when a decent-sized cockroach scuttled out from the thick layer of dust of the closet, watching as it hurried past his bare feet toward the shadows of the desk across the room. Shaking his head slightly, Phil leaned forward to look around a little better, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket to provide a little more light, before he sighed.

"They wouldn't be here," he announced, glancing back at where Nick and April stood behind him. "This room belonged to a boy."

Nick took a deep breath as he let go of April's hand and walked forward to join the other man, leaving the young diva lingering nervously near the doorway. In the light of Phil's phone, he saw a couple small green army men scattered over the floor, a couple larger toy soldiers sitting on the shelf above them.

"Dude, that's kinda weird," the Show-Off murmured, his light eyes narrowing slightly as he studied their cracked scowling faces. "Kinda creepy to keep broken toys lying around, don't you think?"

Phil gazed at the broken toy soldiers for a moment before he thought about the doll he and April had found in the other room, which had a similar crack running along her porcelain face.

_The teenage boy roughly pulled the doll out of the little girl's hands, the force causing her head to hit the side of the desk, the impact enough to create a thin crack along the bridge of her nose and down her left cheek..._

Then, a smile spread across Nick's face when something toward the back caught his eye. "Dude, no way! Look at this!" he exclaimed with a quiet chuckle, taking a couple steps inside the closet to get a better look. "Check these out, man!" The Show-Off crouched on the floor in front of a pile of old vinyl records and carefully started to go through them, skimming through artists such as Metallica, The Beatles, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

"Wicked..."

But Phil didn't respond. April looked at him with concern when she noticed the blank look in his eyes that was only there for a minute before he winced slightly and put his hand to his head. "Phil, are you okay?" she asked, walking further into the room and coming to a stop next to him, hesitating for a moment before she lightly set her hand on his arm.

Nick glanced over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing slightly in concern as he set the records back down on the pile and rose to his feet, turning to face the dark-haired man. "Phil!" he repeated, shaking his other arm lightly when he saw that he hadn't responded to the diva's touch.

The Straight Edge Superstar quickly met his gaze, sighing quietly as he looked between him and April. "Uh... yeah, I'm fine," he muttered, passing a hand over his face. "Let's just check that last room and get back downstairs."

Nick shared a worried look with April before he nodded in return. "Yeah, come on then," he said, shutting the closet door before he crossed the room and stepped out into the hallway.

Phil took a deep breath before he turned his gaze to April, noticing that she was still looking at him with clear concern. "I'm okay," he assured her before he gestured to the door. "Let's go."

April brushed some strands of her brown hair behind her ear before she turned and started to make her way across the room, Phil close behind her. He closed his eyes for a brief moment now that her back was turned, willing the strange dream to leave his mind. He didn't know why he had had it in the first place, but he wished that he didn't have to keep on seeing it.

The dark-haired man followed the new diva out into the hallway, pausing for a moment when something caught his eye. At the end of the dark hall loomed a tall, aged grandfather clock. Curious, he slowly approached it, squinting slightly and seeing that the intricate antique hands had stopped long before.

11:13.

The Straight Edge Superstar slowly reached out and ran his hand over the smooth wooden side, seeing the thick layer of dust that had formed on it over the years. He quickly wiped it away on his sweatpants before looking back at the clock's face, his brow furrowing slightly as he once again looked at the time it had stopped on.

11:13...

"You, Phil! You coming, man?"

Startled by the sudden voice, Phil quickly looked over his shoulder to see that Nick and April were watching him curiously from the now open door of the last bedroom that no one had used. He gave them a slight smirk as he turned and started to walk toward the room himself. "Yeah," he replied quietly. "Let's just find those damn sewing needles."

**Author's Note**: Okay, that's it for this one! Some strange things going on here, which will be explained as we go through the next few chapters. What's happening to Phil? We'll have to keep going to find out. Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	6. Part VI: Burn, Baby, Burn

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE!

**Summary**: A ghost story. Sent off course on a stormy night, five superstars are stranded together in an old house. But they're not alone. Something is haunting them, and they have to find a way to combat their deepest, darkest fears in order to survive the night.

**Author's Note**: Hey, thanks for your reviews! Sorry that it took me a bit longer to update this chapter, but school was kicking my butt and didn't leave me much time to write. But, here we are! I'm glad you're liking this so much! It really means a lot. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter too. Thanks again and enjoy!

_Part VI– Burn, Baby, Burn_

"Sit."

Phil sighed when April lightly pushed him down onto the couch, sending an annoyed glance her way. She simply smiled in return while Nick sat down on the couch next to him, opening the small sewing kit they had found in the closet of the bedroom no one had been using.

"Hey, April, could you add a couple more pages to the fire?" the Show-Off asked. "I want to make sure we have enough light for this."

"Oh, yeah, sure." April turned away from the two men sitting on the couch and walked over to the mantle, grabbing the magazine that was sitting on top of the pile and tearing a few pages out of it. She then crouched down in front of the fireplace to toss them one by one into the flickering flames to ensure that each page would catch fire.

Then, the new diva gasped quietly and jerked back a bit when a couple sparks flew in her direction as she dropped the last one into the flames. She watched as a small one landed on her hand before she scooted back a little more, rubbing the area beneath her knuckles where it had burned her slightly.

"Everything okay, April?" Nick wondered, glancing up at her curiously while Phil did the same.

A brief moment passed before she looked back at them, a small smile on her face. "Yeah, fine," she muttered. "How's that for light?"

Nick smirked slightly as he opened the small box. "Perfect," he told her. "Thanks, April."

April nodded in silent response as she rose to her feet, slowly wandering over to the couch and sitting down on the arm closest to her friends. She watched as Nick dug through the multi-colored spools of thread and pins before he finally found a thin needle near the bottom of the kit. "Ah, here we go..."

The Show-Off then raised his light gaze to Phil, his smile lingering. "Ready, Phil?" he wondered.

The Straight Edge Superstar chuckled quietly as he shrugged. "As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose," he said.

"Good, give me your hand." Nick paused for a minute, his eyes narrowing slightly. "In a totally non-awkward way."

Phil rolled his hazel eyes before he held out his right hand toward the other man. Chuckling, Nick took it and leaned a little closer to get a good look at his friend's palm. April peered over his shoulder, watching as the blond man carefully stuck the point of the needle into Phil's skin by the splinter to lift it out.

"Let me know if it hurts, okay, man?"

"Will do." Phil sighed and moved his gaze to the flickering fireplace, ignoring the needle that Nick was carefully working into his palm to remove the decent-sized splinter that had embedded itself in his skin. He winced slightly when he unintentionally poked him, smirking slightly when he heard him mumble an apology. "If I lose my hand, man, it's on you."

Nick rolled his eyes as he turned his focus back to the splinter. "You won't," he assured him. "This is just in there pretty good..."

April winced slightly herself as she watched Nick work with the needle, glancing up to meet Phil's gaze when he arched an eyebrow at her. "What are you nervous about, girl?" he wondered quietly.

"It just looks unpleasant, that's all," April muttered, giving him a small smile.

Phil chuckled a little. "It's fine," he replied. "My little sister has removed splinters like this for me before, though she was a bit more gentle." He sent a pointed glance Nick's way, who wrinkled his nose slightly as he quietly mocked the Straight Edge Superstar.

"Yeah, I've removed them that way before too." April sighed as she shrugged. "Never liked doing it."

"Well, fortunately we'll be done in a second here," Nick spoke up with a slight smile as he straightened up a bit. "I got it–!"

Suddenly, a loud _thump _came from upstairs as though something fell, causing all three to jump. Phil cursed heatedly and pushed himself up from the couch when the needle went deeper into his palm than Nick had intended, pacing in front of the fireplace as it began to bleed.

"What the hell was that?" Nick demanded, glancing at the dark staircase nervously.

"M-maybe the wind knocked something over?" April suggested, following his gaze. "It's still not good out there..."

"We were just up there and none of the windows were open, April!"

"I don't give a damn what it was!" Phil snapped, shaking his hand when it began to sting. "Shit... Where's a water bottle?"

April slowly rose from the arm of the couch and picked up the water bottle that was sitting on top of her bag next to Nick and Phil's by the foot of the staircase before she made her way over to the dark-haired man. "Here you go," she muttered, holding it out to him.

Phil stopped his pacing and looked down at the nearly full bottle. "April, I meant my own," he said, lowering his voice. "You don't have to give me yours."

The new diva shrugged slightly as she smiled in return. "It's fine," she assured him. "I haven't been drinking it."

The Straight Edge Superstar met her gaze for another minute before he sighed and slowly took the bottle from her proffered hand. "Thanks," he muttered, twisting off the cap and pouring a little water onto his bleeding palm.

"No problem," April replied. "Is... is the splinter out at least?"

"Yeah, I got it right before _that_ happened," Nick told her, once again glancing at the staircase. He sighed, looking back at Phil. "Sorry, man."

Phil shrugged slightly before he winced again when the cut stung as more water came in contact with it. "Not your fault."

Nick ran a hand through his light hair, his gaze faltering slightly. But then, he attempted a smirk. "What do you guys think are the odds of this place having Band-aids?"

"I wouldn't trust one even if it somehow _did _have them," Phil said, taking a couple steps closer to the fireplace so he could see his palm better. "This should stop soon anyway. If not, I have some wrist tape in my bag."

"Do you want me to get it for you?" April asked.

Phil sighed as he shrugged slightly. "Maybe in a little bit, girl," he answered.

"It'd probably be a good idea," Nick suggested. "I mean, this house is old. You don't know what's in here besides all that dust. It's just a small cut, but you don't want to risk it getting infected."

The tattooed man met the Show Off's gaze, and he shrugged slightly in a conceding way. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He glanced over at the young diva. "April, if you don't mind, could you grab the wrist tape from my bag? And a towel too, please. They both should be toward the bottom."

April smiled. "Not a problem, Phil," she replied as she walked back over to where their bags were sitting at the bottom of the stairs, crouching down in and opening Phil's red one.

Nick sighed as he stood up from the couch and wandered over to the fireplace where the dark-haired man was still tending to his palm. He winced slightly when he saw it was still bleeding. "Ugh. That's not a very big cut, but it looks a bit deeper than I thought," he muttered.

Phil shrugged slightly as he looked back at the other man. "That's why it stings as much as it does," he said.

The blond man met his gaze. "As I said, I'm sorry, man," he replied. "That's gotta be annoying."

"And as _I _said, it's not your fault." Phil sighed quietly. "We'll just wrap it in tape, and I'll be good to go."

April started to hum quietly to herself as she looked in the Straight Edge Superstar's bag, gently moving a couple comic books aside as she searched for what she had offered to find. She easily spotted a neatly folded towel and set it aside before she continued to look for the wrist tape. She moved the comics aside again, as well as his ring gear, before she found it sitting on the bottom, just as he had said.

"Here, Phil," she muttered, hurrying over to the two superstars with the items. "This should help."

Nick took the wrist tape while Phil grabbed the towel, giving her a small smile. "Thanks, girl." Then, he took it and wrapped it around his sore hand to dry it, wincing slightly when the soft material came in contact with the cut. April's gaze flickered nervously while the Show Off started to unwrap some wrist tape for the other man.

After a couple minutes, Phil bunched up the towel and removed it from his hand, holding it under his arm as he turned his attention to Nick. "Here, I'll get this started," the blond man mumbled, lightly placing the end of the wrist tape on the Straight Edge Superstar's palm before starting to wrap a couple layers around his hand to make sure it was secure.

April watched them in silence, sighing quietly before she wandered back over to the base of the stairs where their bags were sitting. She crouched down and started to go through her own purple one when she felt a light but cold breeze brush past her cheek. The new diva looked up, and her eyes widened when she saw the tall, broad-shouldered, towering figure standing a few stairs above her.

* * *

"I th-think we should g-go back."

Mike sighed as he slowed to a stop, turning over his shoulder to look back at Eve who had stopped walking before he had. He turned around completely and slowly made his way back over to his girlfriend, his step hindered slightly by the limp he had due to his throbbing knee. He reached out and took her hand, blinking some rain drops out of his eyes before he reached out and set his free hand on her cheek.

"Eve, we've come this far," he told her through slightly chattering teeth. They were both soaked to the bone, and the night air was incredibly damp, making him colder than he cared to admit. "We have to hit something soon."

However, the Latina just shook her head slightly in return. "How can y-you say that for sure?" she asked. "We have n-no idea where we a-are. We could st-still be far away from the city limits for all we kn-know!"

Mike passed a hand over his face as he closed his eyes for a long moment. She was right. He knew they couldn't stay out in the inclement weather all night, and with no signs of the downpour letting up, they would have to find some shelter soon. Maybe it would have been better for them to just stay at the house with Phil, Nick, and April, but with whatever the thing in the house with them still running around, he also knew it wouldn't have been worth taking that chance.

"I can't," he admitted quietly. "Okay, Eve? I can't say that for sure. But we also can't go back to that house."

Eve attempted to stare down her boyfriend, but she soon dropped her gaze and wrung her hands. Mike quietly sighed as he wrapped his larger ones around them, feeling how cold her fingers were. They needed to find something as soon as possible.

"We'll be okay, Eve," he murmured with a slight smile as he brushed some of her water-logged hair behind her ear. "You'll see. We'll find a place in no time."

Sighing quietly, Eve weakly returned the smile. "For y-your sake, I hope we d-do," she replied.

Mike chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, feeling her shivering slightly as he kissed her forehead. Then, keeping his hold on the diva's hand, the self-proclaimed Awesome One started walking along the side of the road once the pain in his knee died down slightly. It was dark, and he could barely make out the lines on the asphalt, and he knew that Phil's prediction about terrible driving conditions was right on.

Then, Eve gasped when the bright headlights of a truck passed over them, seeing that it was driving too close to the shoulder of the road. The loud sound of a horn blared around them as she pulled on Mike's arm to bring him onto the muddy grass, the slick ground causing them both to slip. The brown-haired man dropped to one knee, catching the Latina in his arms.

"Hey, buddy, you should watch where you're driving!" Mike shouted angrily after the truck as it rounded the corner and out of sight.

Eve looked up at her boyfriend for a moment before she started to laugh, seeing that he was covered in mud and knowing that she probably looked very similar. Mike arched a semi-amused eyebrow as he looked down on her, a slight smirk appearing at the corner of his lips. "And what are _you _laughing about?" he wondered.

The diva shook her head slightly, rubbing her eyes. All the stress from the events of that night was finally catching up with her. "Y-you look ridiculous," she said, wiping at a splash of mud on his cheek.

Mike shook his head slightly, his smirk lingering as his gaze passed over the mud that stained Eve's jeans and sweatshirt. "As do you, babe," he replied.

A broad smile appeared on Eve's face as she simply looked back at him, leaning forward and meeting his lips in a kiss. Mike deepened it for a short moment before he pulled away, smiling at her before he pushed himself to his feet and helped his girlfriend up with him. The self-proclaimed Awesome One briefly paused when his knee throbbed with pain before he smiled and wrapped his hand around his girlfriend's.

"Shall we keep going?" he asked.

Eve sighed quietly as she nodded, tightening her hand around his as she moved closer to his side. "I s-suppose so," she answered quietly.

Mike smiled slightly before he started to lead her back toward the side of the road, but then he paused when his girlfriend set her hand on his arm. "Wait, Mike. Look!"

"Hmm?" Mike turned and followed Eve's gaze, squinting slightly to see through the heavy downpour to find what she was looking for. But then, he noticed it.

There was light filtering through a couple low-hanging tree branches that were being roughly pushed around by the forceful wind. He took a couple steps closer toward it, Eve keeping her tight hod on his hand, before his smile broadened.

They had found a house.

* * *

"All right, that should do it," Nick muttered as he and Phil finished wrapping his palm with wrist tape. "You're good to go, man."

The Straight Edge Superstar smiled slightly as he clenched and unclenched his hand a couple times to make sure that it was secure. "Thanks," he muttered, taking the roll of tape from the Show Off. "That–!"

But then, both men quickly turned away from the fireplace when a piercing scream reached their ears, watching with horror as the hooded man they had seen before had tightly grabbed April's hair and was dragging her up the staircase toward the dark second floor. Phil tossed the roll of tape on the couch as he passed it before he started running up the staircase after the struggling diva, Nick close behind.

The strange figure paused when he noticed them, and he slowly held his hand out in front of him. Phil's eyes widened when a sudden force pushed him back, and he collided with Nick as they both tumbled back down the stairs.

"Phil! Nick! Help!" April cried, trying to escape from the hooded man's grasp on her hair as he continued to drag her up to the landing.

The dark-haired man winced as he slowly sat up, his hand immediately going to his side when his already sore ribs flared with pain at the motion. He wouldn't be surprised if at least one had cracked in the fall since they had already been tender to begin with. Phil pushed himself up to his knees and paused, waiting for the pain to die down a bit as he glanced at Nick. He was immediately concerned when he saw the Show Off had only propped himself up on his arm and was shaking his head slightly, knowing that he had already sustained a minor head injury.

"Stay here," Phil muttered as he pulled himself to his feet by using the railing. He didn't want to take any chances with the other man.

Nick turned his attention to him, giving him a small smile. "I'll be there when I can," he replied quietly.

Phil returned the look before he took a deep breath and ran up the stairs as quickly as he could, leaning slightly on the railing for support when his ribs painfully protested. He had to pause at the top of the landing, his hand on his side as his hazel gaze anxiously scanned the dark hallway in front of him for any sign of where the mysterious figure could have taken April.

"Why are you doing this?"

Hearing the young diva's anxious tone, Phil started to make his way forward, his attention drawn to the slightly open door of the room that she had been using earlier in the night. Before he could quite reach it, a loud scream came from inside, and he gritted his teeth as he ran forward and quickly pushed the door open.

His eyes widened fearfully when he saw that the hooded man was standing in the middle of the room, his gloved hand held out before him toward the bed where April was lying, screaming and writhing in pain.

* * *

"Why are you doing this?"

April stared up at the strange figure fearfully from where she sat on the bed that he had thrown her onto, but of course, she didn't get any response. Not that she had expected to get one.

Then, she scooted back against the pillows a bit when the hooded man slowly raised his hand and held it out in front of him in her direction, and she shook her head anxiously. "Please, don't..." she whispered fearfully. "Please..."

Once again, the man didn't say a word. April's hands started to shake slightly as she took a deep, shuddering breath, and it was then that she smelled it– the tell-tale stench of smoke.

Tears formed in the young diva's eyes as she pulled her legs up to her chest and covered her head when the temperature around her started to increase, but she knew the pathetic attempt to protect herself wouldn't be enough and never would be. But that didn't stop her from trying. A loud crackling sound reached her ears, and she quickly raised her head in time to see that bright flames had made their way into the room and were surrounding the bed, raising higher and higher so that she couldn't escape.

She moved back against the wall to get as far away from them as she could, but it wasn't enough when the sheets on the bed caught fire, quickly branching out as they made their way toward her. The thick, black smoke was starting to suffocate her. The heat was growing to be unbearable. The crackling of the flames was growing to a deafening level as they pressed in around her, and she screamed loudly as they finally engulfed her.

* * *

Phil ran into the room, looking for something to grab to throw at the figure. However, his sudden presence seemed to distract the hooded man, who turned his head in his direction before vanishing. The Straight Edge Superstar then looked at April, who was still screaming and thrashing on the bed, and hurried over to her, reaching out and getting a secure hold of her arms.

"April, it's okay," he muttered. "He's gone."

But April seemed not to hear him as she continued to panic, another scream escaping from her as she tried to pull away. Phil took a deep breath as he wrapped his tattooed arms around her and held her close, trying to stop her frantic movements. He winced and gasped painfully when her elbow connected with his side, but he kept his hold on her.

"Flames... smoke... burning..."

The dark-haired man glance down at the young diva when he heard her frantic murmurings, and he sighed quietly when he realized what her fear must have been. "April, there is no fire," he told her. "You're okay."

A few more minutes passed before April's body finally relaxed in his arms, and Phil inwardly sighed with relief. He hadn't been sure how much longer he could have held onto her with how she had frequently connected with his side. He watched as she quickly opened her eyes and looked around, a slight blush gracing her features when she noticed where exactly she was.

"I... I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I didn't..."

"It's okay," Phil assured her, wincing slightly as he slowly let go of her. "Are you all right?"

April nodded in silent answer as she took a deep breath and wiped her tears away. "Y-yeah," she said. "Thank you."

Phil smiled slightly in return. But then, his eyes widened when he suddenly felt some force tighten around his shoulder, and April screamed when he was roughly pulled away from the bed. The Straight Edge Superstar landed hard on his back on the floor, and he winced slightly as he put a hand to the back of his head. He quickly opened his eyes when he felt someone stop near him, seeing that the hooded figure was towering over him. He didn't have time to move before one of his gloved hands reached down and clamped securely around his throat, lifting him off the ground and slamming him into the wall behind him.

"Leave him alone!" April cried as she shakily stood from the bed. "Stop it!"

The hooded figure glanced over his shoulder at her, but he didn't pay her much attention as he turned his focus back to the dark-haired man. Phil's eyes widened slightly as he leaned closer to him, trying to pull his hand away from his neck as he struggled to breathe.

Then, the pressure around his throat disappeared as something light passed through the hooded figure's head and hit the wall, causing him to vanish. Phil slid down to the floor, trying to catch his breath, and saw that his roll of wrist tape was lying on the floor next to him. He glanced up, seeing the Nick was leaning against the doorway, giving him a weak smile. He tried to return the look before he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall.

"Phil!"

The Straight Edge Superstar slowly opened his eyes when he heard the higher-pitched voice, watching as April knelt next to him on the floor setting a hand lightly on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" she asked with concern.

Phil nodded in silent answer before he closed his eyes again. April looked over her shoulder at Nick, who exchanged a look of concern with her. Up until that point, the mysterious hooded figure had been attacking them individually, trying to break them with what they feared the most. But his ire toward Phil had seemed slightly different, and it was disconcerting.

He seemed to be getting more aggressive.

Nick sighed as he pushed away from the door frame, slowly walking over to April and Phil, who to their concern, had seemed to slip out of consciousness. "Here, girl, help me get him downstairs."

* * *

Phil quietly groaned as he opened his eyes and slowly looked around him. He found he was lying on the couch in the living room, Nick standing in front of the fireplace to check on the flames while April was kneeling on the floor in front of the couch, looking at him with concern. He raised a hand ad passed it over his face before he tried to give her a small smile, but the look went unreturned as she continued to gaze at him with worry, her hand resting lightly on his other arm.

Nick then walked back over to the couch, sitting down on the arm by his feet. "How's he doing?" he asked quietly.

April glanced up at him. "Not sure what that thing did to him, but I'm sure he'll wake up soon," she answered.

Phil's eyes narrowed slightly in confusion as he looked up at his two friends. "Guys, I'm already awake," he muttered, wincing slightly as he slowly sat up. "See?"

When they still didn't seem to acknowledge him, the Straight Edge Superstar sighed as he pulled his arm from under April's hand and pushed himself to his feet, stretching slightly as he made his way over to the fireplace. "I'm fine," he told them with frustration, turning over his shoulder to look back at the Show Off and the new diva. "I–!"

But Phil's sentence abruptly cut off as he completely turned around, his eyes widening with an even blend of fear and confusion.

Nick was still sitting on the arm of the couch nearest the stairs. April was still kneeling on the floor in front of it.

And lying on the couch was himself.

**Author's Note**: So, as I've said in previous chapters, things will be getting stranger. Mainly because I watched the movie _Insidious _not too long ago. Haha! So, what's going on with Phil, and what's next for our poor characters? We'll find out soon! Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	7. Part VII: Dreamscapes

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE! Hello Kitty and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles also are not mine.

**Summary**: A ghost story. Sent off course on a stormy night, five superstars are stranded together in an old house. But they're not alone. Something is haunting them, and they have to find a way to combat their deepest, darkest fears in order to survive the night.

**Author's Note**: Hey, guys, thanks for the reviews! I hope you had a good Christmas if you celebrate it :) Well, things are getting a bit strange, as you guys can see. And things are only gonna get stranger. Also, I just wanna take a quick moment to say that this is also the darkest chapter in the story so far. So kinda like a warning, I guess. But we'll see where this goes! Enjoy!

_Part VII– Dreamscapes_

Mike kept a tight hold on Eve's hand as they carefully made their way across the soaked, muddy lawn. The house that sat before them was smaller than the one they had previously found, consisting of two stories and an old-fashioned root cellar on the side. A low rumble of thunder echoed in the distance as they made their way up the couple wooden steps that led to the front porch, and the Latina noticed that an old, battered pickup truck was sitting in the driveway.

"Someone's home," she whispered, tightening her hold on Mike's hand slightly.

"Already an improvement," Mike muttered, mainly to himself as he reached out and rang the doorbell. "Maybe we'll be able to get out of this rain. See, Eve? I told you leaving that house was a good–!"

But his sentence was abruptly cut off when the door suddenly opened, and his eyes widened when he found himself staring down the barrel of a hunting rifle. "Whoa, whoa, whoa..." the self-proclaimed Awesome One said, holding up his hands in a peaceful gesture as he made sure he was between the gun and his girlfriend. "No need for that, Sir. If you just let us explain..."

The man holding the rifle was portly and balding, the traces of dark hair he did have left flecked with gray. He regarded the couple suspiciously with beady eyes, not lowering the weapon. "We don't like solicitors or trespassers," he replied.

"We're not either," Mike tried to explain. "My name is Michael Mizanin. I'm a professional wrestler with–!"

"Professional wrestler?" the man repeated. "You? Kinda scrawny to be one of them, don't you think?"

Mike laughed nervously, his eyes not leaving the gun that was still aimed directly at him. "Well, that's what I am, Sir..." he began.

The man scoffed quietly, his gaze moving from Mike to Eve and back. "My boy and I used to watch that back in the day," he muttered thoughtfully. "You know Hulk Hogan?"

The self-proclaimed Awesome One exchanged an uneasy look with Eve before turning back to the balding man. "Not... not very well," he told him. "But please, if you just hear us out, we're not here to cause trouble. We were on the way to our next show in Jersey with some friends, and we ran off the road. We've been stuck in this storm, and..."

"Oh!" The portly man lowered the rifle, a slight smile forming on his pudgier face, which revealed that he was missing a couple of teeth. "Why didn't you just say so? Come on in."

Mike let out a relieved sigh and briefly closed his eyes before he turned to Eve, who was looking at him with slight confusion, before he tightened his hand around hers and led her into the brightly lit living room. They both set their drenched bags near the door and slipped out of their shoes, watching as the man leaned the rifle against the wall in the corner before straightening out the pillows on the armchair and the couch to make them look more presentable.

"You must be soaked to the bone," he said, turning to the couple with another smile. "I know, I'll borrow some of my kids' clothes for you."

"Oh, it's okay," Eve replied with a smile of her own. "We're not gonna stay long. Maybe just until the rain lets up a bit more or to just use your phone..."

But the man brushed her words aside. "Nonsense. Can't go without doing a pretty lady like yourself a favor. They won't mind, and they should fit you. I'll be right back."

Eve smiled politely until the man turned and started to hobble up the staircase that led up to the second floor, the look vanishing as she looked at Mike, who was watching after the man with obvious dislike. She hit his arm, causing him to look back at her as he rubbed it.

"Ow, what was that for?"

"Would you relax?" Eve wondered as she rolled her eyes. "I'm sure he didn't mean anything by that comment."

Mike sighed and raised an eyebrow as they then began to look around the small living room, trying to get a better idea of who the man who owned the house was. There wasn't much to go by other than a single photograph that hung on the wall. Eve took a few steps closer to look at it, seeing that it must have been taken years before since the man had a full head of black hair and had all of his teeth. Beside him stood a beautiful woman with blonde hair that was pulled back behind her head in a bun, and in front of them sat two children. The boy with dark hair, who wasn't smiling at the camera, appeared to be in his teen years while the girl, who had curly blonde hair, appeared to be no older than ten.

"Well, here are a couple shirts for you guys, along with some sweatpants. It looks like they'll fit."

Eve turned around while Mike glanced up as the man came back down into the living room, holding one set of clothes in one hand and another in his other. The Latina forced a smile as she took the first set, the look waning when she saw the mustard yellow sweatpants and the light red Hello Kitty t-shirt. She glanced at Mike, who was staring at the gray sweatpants and the light green Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt with a raised eyebrow. The portly man watched them expectantly, but then a quiet _ding _from the kitchen caused him to perk up slightly.

"Oh! Dinner's ready," he said with a broad smile. "Let me go get that out of the oven... You'll be staying with us, will you not?"

"Oh, um..." Mike began to politely decline, but the man had already scurried away to get whatever was for dinner out of the oven. He sighed, glancing at Eve, who shrugged as she turned her back on her boyfriend to change.

The self-proclaimed Awesome One glanced down at the shirt he had been given with dislike before he pulled his soaked sweatshirt and t-shirt off. He then tried to pull the new one over his head, pausing when he heard some of the material rip as it stretched to fit him.

"Damn it..." Mike irritably grumbled under his breath as he finished pulling the shirt down as far as it could go over his torso, rolling his eyes when he found that it fit him so tightly he could barely move his arms. He then proceeded to slip on the gray sweatpants he had also been given, relived that the waistline was elastic before he glanced over his shoulder with an arched eyebrow when he heard a quiet laugh from behind him.

"And what's so funny?" he wondered when he saw that his girlfriend was looking him over with amusement.

Eve shook her head slightly as she crossed her arms in front of her. A slight smirk tugged at the corner of Mike's lips as he looked her over as well, seeing the Hello Kitty shirt fit tightly to her frame and came to a stop a few inches above her waist. Noticing his gaze, the Latina rolled her eyes. "If you're not careful, you're gonna rip your way right out of that shirt," she muttered teasingly. "I think these clothes are for teens."

Mike chuckled as he crossed the short distance between them, setting his hands on her waist. "At least I'm not the one wearing the ugly yellow sweatpants," he countered.

The Latina sighed in irritation, but a small smile appeared on her face when Mike leaned forward and lightly brushed his nose against hers. "What are you doing?" she asked quietly with a slight laugh. "Not here."

"What's wrong with that?" Mike gave her fake pout, which disappeared when his girlfriend gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Why don't you two come on in here? You don't want to be the last ones to dinner."

Eve quickly glanced over her shoulder when she heard the voice, seeing that the balding man was smiling at them before he disappeared back into the kitchen. She sighed as she turned to follow after him, reaching out and taking Mike's hand in hers as they left the living room together.

The small kitchen was warm from the oven, and whatever had been cooking definitely smelled good. Mike set his hand on his stomach when he heard it growl, and he realized that he was hungrier than he thought. A square wooden table sat in the middle of the room, four chairs set up around it.

"So, I guess we just sit anywhere, huh?" Mike said quietly to his girlfriend.

"I suppose so," Eve replied with a slight shrug.

Mike nodded slightly in agreement before he walked to the nearest chair and began to pull it out from the table, Eve doing the same on his left. The balding man was humming quietly to himself as he pulled a pan out of the oven, but when he saw them about to sit at the table, his face contorted with rage as he nearly dropped what he was holding.

"No! That's where Penny and Jane sit!"

The couple froze, startled by the sudden outburst. "W-who?" Eve wondered, glancing at her boyfriend, who shrugged.

"My wife and daughter." The man stormed over to the table and slammed the pan down with more force than was necessary. He noticed that Mike's gaze had landed on the chair across from him and shook his head. "Erik, my son, sits there. They'll be down shortly."

Mike glanced at Eve before he looked back at the portly man. "Okay, so we sit where then?" he asked.

The man looked at the table for a moment before he smiled, a slight laugh escaping from him. "Oh, my mistake. Let me get a couple more chairs for you," he answered, starting to hum quietly to himself again as he walked over to a closet next to the refrigerator and pulled out a couple of old, rusted folding chairs. "It's not very often that we have company out here. Here you go."

Eve watched as the man unfolded one of the chairs and set it up on the left side of the table, slowly sitting down when Mike gestured for her to. Then, to her dismay, the second chair was set up on the other side of the table from her.

"Now," the man said as he sat down at the table with a sigh once his two guests were settled in. "I don't believe that we were properly introduced before. My name is Harold."

Mike cleared his throat. "Well, as I said, my name is Michael, and this is my girlfriend, Eve," he replied.

"Well, it's a pleasure to have you as our guests tonight." Harold smiled at them before he held his hands out, and Mike and Eve glanced at each other before they slowly reached out and took them before each grabbing the other's hand as well.

"If you two will join me in a quick prayer, then maybe everyone else will join us so we can eat," he continued before he closed his eyes and lowered his head. Mike and Eve exchanged another quick look before they dropped their heads slightly as well.

"Lord, we thank you for the meal we're about to receive, for our loving family, and for the guests that we have here tonight. In your name we pray. Amen."

Mike glanced up at Eve as Harold released their hands, squeezing hers before he let go as well. The Latina gave him a small smile before they both turned to the balding man, watching as he grinned broadly at them before he started to take the aluminum foil off of the pan.

"Well, we may as well start to eat."

"I thought your family was going to join us," Eve muttered.

Harold looked up at her, his smile lingering. "They'll join us soon," he told her. "But we also don't want the food to get cold."

Eve looked back at Mike, who just raised an eyebrow as he shrugged slightly. Sighing, the diva looked back at Harold. "Is there anything that we can help with?" she wondered politely.

"Oh, no, don't worry, dear." Harold finally finished getting the foil off, giving her a smile. "Help yourselves. I'll get some utensils for you."

Mike leaned forward on the table slightly, seeing it appeared to be slices of chicken with some glaze covering it. "I've gotta say, this looks really good," he said loud enough for Harold to hear.

"Good. It's been baking for about an hour now." Harold hobbled back over to the table, setting a knife, fork, and a plate by his seat as well as Mike and Eve's. But then, he proceeded to set them at the three empty places as well. "Go on, take some."

"Thank you." Mike took two slices for himself while Eve started with one. "We haven't really eaten much since early this afternoon when we left our hotel."

"And you're just going into the city, right?" When Mike nodded in answer as he started cutting a piece of his chicken, Harold smiled. "Well, that's only about a ten minute drive. Maybe if the rain lets up a bit by tonight, I can take you there myself. Or in the morning at the latest."

Eve cut a small piece of her chicken when she saw her boyfriend was continuing to eat his, quickly tasting it and finding that it was well-flavored and very tender. "Thank you, that would be great," she replied. "Or, if it'd be easier for you, we could just use your phone to call for a ride. I'm sure some of our coworkers wouldn't mind picking us up if we're so close."

But Harold just brushed her words aside. "It's no bother, dear, believe me," he muttered. "Wouldn't want them driving out in this weather."

"A couple friends of ours are still stuck as well," Mike added, glancing up at the man as well. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble..."

"Of course, of course." Harold smiled at the self-proclaimed Awesome One. "Where are your friends?"

Before either Mike or Eve could answer, however, a sudden loud _bang _came from upstairs, as well as what sounded like a bloodcurdling scream. The Latina looked at her boyfriend fearfully, seeing he looked just as startled as she did, while Harold sighed and set his knife and fork down on his plate.

"Sorry about that," he told them. "I'll be back shortly. Please, continue eating."

Eve continued to stare at Mike as Harold scurried out of the room. "What... what the hell was _that_?" she asked in a whisper.

"I don't know," Mike answered just as quietly as another _bang _and scream came from above them. "I thought the guy was just a bit off his rocker and there was no one else in this house."

"If that's even a person..." Eve knew the words would sound ridiculous in any other situation, but after what they had seen so far that night, she didn't think it was too much of a stretch.

Mike carefully reached across the table and took her hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly. "I don't care what he says. As soon as we get the chance, we're calling someone to come get us," he said. "We're not that far from the city. I don't trust this guy."

Eve shook her head in silent agreement as an eerie silence came from upstairs. Footsteps came down the steps, and a minute passed before Harold came back into the kitchen and sat back down at the table. He picked up his knife and fork again, smiling at the couple as they released each other's hands.

"Please, eat."

Mike met his girlfriend's gaze before he slowly picked up his own utensils again, Eve doing the same as they continued to eat in silence.

* * *

Phil stared at himself lying on the couch in horror. He didn't know how it was possible to be in two places at once, but yet there he was. He didn't know how it could be possible unless...

"No," he muttered, looking down at his hands. "I'm not dead. I can't be dead. I didn't..."

The Straight Edge Superstar looked back at where he was lying on the couch. He didn't appear to be lifeless, at least to him. There was still color left in his face, at any rate. But if that was the case, then he had no idea what could be happening to him.

_"How's he doing?" _he heard Nick ask as the Show Off rose from the couch to stand next to where the diva was still kneeling beside the couch, bending over a little to look at him better. But his voice was distorted as though he was hearing it through water, his movements a bit slower and their figures slightly blurred. It was almost as though he wasn't in the same room with his friends at all.

Phil watched as April sighed and met his gaze, running her hand down his own tattooed arm and wrapping her slender fingers around his hand. _"Still okay," _she answered. _"I'm not sure what caused this sleep, but I'm just hoping he wakes up soon."_

_"Do you think it was when that thing grabbed him?" _Nick wondered. _"I mean, the cut on his hand wouldn't have done this."_

April turned her gaze back to his body, and Phil watched as she turned his wrapped hand over to look at his palm. He took a few steps closer, seeing that there was a small tear in the wrist tape. _"Do you remember if he touched that figure?" _she wondered, glancing back at the blond man standing next to her.

_"Um..." _Nick shrugged slightly. _"I honestly don't remember... Maybe to pull its hand away..."_

Phil kept his attention on April, noticing the thoughtful look on her face as she reached out and lightly set her hand on top of his head while her thumb started to lightly rub circles into his hand. "Do you know something?" he asked quietly, walking forward before he came to a stop next to the new diva across from Nick. "April, do you know what's happening to me? April!"

He didn't expect her to hear him, but he found it frustrating regardless when he didn't get a response. Phil cried out as he lashed his foot out in frustration, shocked when it actually hit the small table next to the couch. He cursed heatedly under his breath as he rubbed his sore toes, more confused than he was before. If he was some kind of ghost, should he be able to touch anything solid? He wasn't sure of the answer, but then again, he didn't even really know what he was.

But that was when he noticed something different about the table than when he had seen it last. A framed photograph now sat on top of it, and the three smiling faces of an older woman and two young children looked back at him. Phil leaned over a little to look at it better, seeing that the woman had a bit of a darker skin tone and her black hair flecked with gray was tied behind her head in a bun. The boy on her left, who had black hair similar to hers, appeared to be in his early teens, and the girl next to him appeared no older than eight and had curly brown hair, holding a porcelain doll with a light pink dress and a bonnet tightly in her arms.

Phil instantly remembered the disturbing dream he had where the same doll's face had been cracked, recognizing the children immediately. But who the woman was, he had no idea. In front of the photograph sat a thick copy of the King James Bible, and Phil quickly picked it up and flipped through it once, finding its black cover and thin pages appeared newer. He set it back down next to a shiny silver locket, and the Straight Edge Superstar curiously picked that up as well and opened it, seeing that one half contained a photograph of the older woman and the other half held a picture of an old man with snow white hair who he assumed was her husband.

But when he set the locket back down in its place on the table, Phil also noticed something else that confused him greatly. The lamp that sat on top of it that had been there before was now turned on. His eyes narrowing slightly, he reached forward and pulled on the thin metal chain, watching as the light switched off, before pulling on it again as the light came back on.

Shaking his head slightly, Phil took a couple steps back from the table and turned his attention back to the couch, seeing that his friends were still there watching over him. But then, he watched as April slowly turned over her shoulder, her eyes almost seeming to land directly on him. The Straight Edge Superstar met her gaze, walking a little closer to her.

"April, can you see me?" he wondered.

However, April slowly looked away again, her movements not quite as distorted as Nick's but still slower than normal, and Phil sighed as he passed a hand over his face. He then started to look around the living room, seeing that all of the dust and cobwebs were gone and it was instead brightly lit because of the hanging lamp on the ceiling. There were a few porcelain dolls sitting on top of the mantle above the fireplace, all with intricate lace dresses of different colors, and the cushions on the armchair near the window and on the couch were clean and appeared fluffier. Looking out the window, the dark-haired man noticed that even though it was night, there was not a single storm cloud in the sky.

Then, Phil turned over his shoulder when he heard the soft sound of a piano playing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," and he saw that a girl who appeared to be in her late teens or early twenties was sitting on the bench in front of the large instrument in the corner, her slender fingers moving over the white keys. Her dark brown hair wasn't quite so curly, and even though he couldn't see her face, he knew that she was the same girl that he had seen before and who was in the photograph. Once she finished the short song, she turned the page in the book she was looking at, starting to play through "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," her feet working the pedals as she went.

The door that led into the kitchen opened, and the older woman from the photograph stepped into the living room, a smile on her face as she gazed at the girl at the piano. "You're doing a wonderful job for picking it up again," she said just as a note in the song was missed. "But why don't you give it a rest for tonight?"

The girl looked up at her, and Phil leaned to the side a little to try to see her face. "All right," she replied quietly. "Good night."

"Good night." The older woman leaned forward and left a light kiss on the younger girl's forehead, and the dark-haired man was surprised to see that her light gaze then seemed to land directly on him before moving to the window.

_Dong... dong... dong..._

Phil glanced over his shoulder at the staircase that led up to the lit second floor when the sound of the grandfather clock echoed from the upper hallway. The girl walked past him, slowly making her way up the steps. The older woman sighed before she turned and made her way back into the kitchen.

_... dong... dong... dong..._

The Straight Edge Superstar watched as the girl disappeared up to the second story, glancing one more time around the living room before he hurried around the couch and took the steps two at a time to catch up with her.

_... dong... dong... dong..._

Phil reached the top of the landing, pausing for a moment as he looked around to see where she could have gone to. All of the doors in the familiar but lit, freshly carpeted hallway were closed, and he sighed quietly as he slowly started to make his way down it.

_... dong... dong._

The dark-haired man paused when the grandfather clock at the end of the hall across from him stopped chiming. Eleven 'o'clock. A bad feeling formed in the pit of his stomach. There was something important about that hour...

Phil reached the end of the hall, glancing at the tall, ancient clock before reaching out and opening the first door on his left, the room where he, Nick, and April had found the sewing needles earlier. He was startled to see that more porcelain dolls were sitting on the bed that hadn't been there before, and judging by the photograph of the older woman with the white-haired man that hung on the wall across from him, the room belonged to her.

The Straight Edge Superstar was just about to close the door when he heard another one behind him open, and he glanced over his shoulder just in time to see a familiar dark hooded figure step out of the room across the hall. Phil kept close to the shadows of the wall, but the man didn't even seem to notice him as he crossed the narrow hallway and opened the door of the room that he now knew well. He waited for a couple minutes before he walked the short distance to the other room and glanced inside, seeing that the girl was sitting on her bed holding the porcelain doll with curly brown hair and the white lace and floral print dress and bonnet on her lap, the familiar crack running down her face. The older man stood in front of her, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his hoodie.

"I need you to stay in here until I come for you, okay, kiddo?" he asked quietly.

The girl slowly looked up at him, her face still hidden by her hair as her slender fingers twirled the curled locks on her doll's head. "Okay," she answered in a voice hardly above a whisper. Phil strained his ears to try to hear her. "Is he going to stay long?"

"No. I guarantee that." The hooded figure then reached forward and ruffled her hair slightly, causing a quiet laugh to escape from her.

Then, Phil looked over his shoulder when a loud pounding came from downstairs. The bad feeling continuing to form in his stomach, he glanced at the grandfather clock at the end of the hall, noticing that it was now three after eleven. The hooded figure swiftly passed the dark-haired man as he left the room, and by the little Phil saw of his face when he passed, he looked slightly anxious.

Wondering what to do, the Straight Edge Superstar lingered in the doorway for a moment before he stepped further into the room, seeing the younger girl had turned her full attention back to the doll on her lap. Phil slowly drew closer to her, bending over slightly to try to see her face. But the closer he got, the more her head seemed to turn away from him, her hair still shielding her features.

But then, his eyes widened slightly when he heard her whispered voice speak two words that caused dread to fill his heart.

"Help me."

Suddenly, Phil turned around to face the open doorway behind him when he heard what sounded like a gunshot come from downstairs. The girl flinched on her bed, holding her doll close to her in an almost protective way. The Straight Edge Superstar stood frozen for a moment before he turned to her, taking a deep breath. "Stay here," he said quietly even though he knew that she wouldn't hear him. When he got no reply like he expected, he quickly crossed the bedroom and stepped outside into the hall.

Then, a second gunshot caused him to stop in his tracks. Who had come to this house that the two people he had seen in his first dream were so afraid of? Thinking quickly, Phil once again glanced at the grandfather clock at the end of the hallway, seeing that it was only six after eleven. He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering that when he had last seen it, the antique hands had stopped in seven minutes.

The dark-haired man then slowly turned back to the staircase when he heard heavy footsteps coming up them, and he stepped back into the room where the younger girl was. She had turned the lights off and was sitting curled up on her bed, her doll wrapped tightly in her arms. Phil came to a stop next to the bed and faced the door, her near silent crying the only sound in the room.

A moment later, a dark-haired, slightly portly man appeared in the doorway, what appeared to be a hunting rifle in his hands. The younger girl curled in on herself a bit more, trying to protect herself as much as possible.

"Please don't..." she muttered fearfully. "W-we didn't do anything to you..."

Phil kept close to the girl, his eyes remaining on the man intently. For an instant, it seemed as though he was going to raise the rifle once more, but then, he lowered it and walked out of sight. The Straight Edge Superstar let out a quiet sigh when he heard the man's fading footsteps, glancing back at the girl when he noticed that she was sitting eerily still. Hesitating for only a second, Phil began to make his way toward the door, but he once again stopped when he heard her whispered voice.

"Wait."

Confused, Phil turned back to her, seeing that her head was turned slightly in his direction. The dark-haired man narrowed his eyes slightly, but before he could say anything in response, she spoke those two words that chilled him once more.

"Help me."

Phil shook his head slightly as he took a couple steps away from her. "I don't think there's anything I can do..." he muttered. The girl continued to what he assumed was look at him in silence, and he quickly turned around and hurried out into the hallway. He ran down the stairs a couple at a time, nearly stumbling in doing so, until he reached the bottom, his eyes widening at what he saw. The man with the rifle was standing near the fireplace almost thoughtfully, but there were no signs of the house's other inhabitants.

But then, the dark-haired man glanced down, and his eyes widened slightly when he saw a limp hand sticking out from behind the couch. Recognizing it to be a masculine hand, Phil knew that this must have been who was haunting them, and it was then he wondered what had happened to the older woman. But it was also then that he realized someone else might have been in the house with him and his friends.

Suddenly, the man standing near the fireplace turned in his direction, and Phil took a few steps back away from him. He glanced down at the couch, seeing that he was still lying there with April and Nick, wishing that he could go back to them. He had seen enough. He understood the crimes that had taken place in the house, but he didn't understand why he had to be there to begin with. He didn't want to relive someone else's memories.

The man started to walk around the couch in his direction, and Phil turned around, seeing the only place he could really go was the door in front of him that led down to the basement. It was one that he hadn't been able to open before since it had been locked, but he figured that there was no harm in trying it now. The Straight Edge Superstar reached out a tattooed hand and turned the door handle, finding with surprise that it was unlocked. He quickly pulled the door open, but his eyes widened when he was met with the familiar hooded figure that was haunting them, reaching a gloved hand out toward him.

**Author's Note**: So, yeah, I warned you guys that this was gonna get strange, lol. But after being inspired by _Insidious_, I thought it would be kinda cool to utilize. So, Phil's experiencing someone else's memories. The question is, who do they belong to? Is it the hooded man that we've been seeing all along, or is Phil right in thinking that there's another ghost in the house with the three of them? Well, we'll have to keep going to find out! Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


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